Xu Xiang took the lead after a good first dive Photos from Barcelona

China's Xu Xiang won the gold medal in the men's one-metre springboard at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona on Thursday.

Xu's compatriot Wang Kenan took silver to ensure a Chinese one-two for the second year in a row.

Joona Puhakka grabbed bronze to give Finland their first ever diving medal.

Xu took the lead after the first dive, but a poor second effort saw him drop back to second behind Russian Alexander Dobroskok.

But the 21-year-old Chinese diver regained the lead in the fourth round and held it until the sixth and final round for a total of 431.94 points.

Wang scored 412.41 with Puhakka achieving 391.26 to push Dobroskok, who earlier this week won gold on the three-metre individual and synchronised springboards, into fourth with 378.45.

France claimed its first medal of the championships when Virginie Dedieu won the solo synchronised swimming.

Dedieu earned five perfect tens for artistic impression and two for technical merit on her way to gold.

Russia's Anastasia Ermakova took silver with Gemma Mengual of Spain earning the bronze.

"My aim was to perform perfectly, and I consider that the scores show I have achieved it," said Dedieu.