By Paul Osborne

Victor Manibaev pulled off the shock of the day with victory in the men's 10m platform final at the FINA Diving World Series in Dubai ©Getty ImagesMarch 22 - There was a shock on the third and final day of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Diving World Series in Dubai, as Russia's Victor Manibaev pounced on a Chinese mistake to take victory in the men's 10 metre platform final.

All seemed on course for a routine victory for China's Qiu Bo who, before last week's competition in Beijing, had won 11 consecutive 10m platform gold medals.

Perfect 10s in his fourth dive did nothing to hinder the Chinese diver's chances.

However, perhaps overwhelmed by his proceeding dive, Qiu got his fifth badly wrong, scoring just 49.95 to hand the initiative to Manibaev.

The Russian did not have to be asked twice and finished with two consistent dives to seal victory with a score of 537.05, 6.15 points ahead of Qiu.

The victory means Manibaev is the first diver in this event to beat Chinese opposition and just the fifth male diver from outside of China to win an individual World Series event.

Victor Manibaev pounced on a mistake by China's Qiu Bo to shock the crowds and secure gold in the men's 10m platform ©Getty ImagesVictor Manibaev pounced on a mistake by China's Qiu Bo to shock the crowds and secure gold in the men's 10m platform ©Getty Images



After a superb start by Great Britain's Tom Daley, a error with his fourth dive dropped him out of medal contention, with his final two dives putting him in fourth place.

America's 2012 Olympic champion David Boudia scored a huge 102.60 in his fifth dive to climb the table into third and secure his seventh World Series podium.

"It's always fun diving with the world's best, having China dive for 10s, the Russians and Tom Daley makes us all step up," said Boudia.

"The atmosphere that the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has is great, the pressure is always intense, men's 10m, it's the premier event and everyone expects the good show, I hope we delivered that today.

"When you have six guys that on any day can battle for the gold medal, everyone wants to beat the other, it makes you spin faster and put entries on your dive.

"I don't watch the score, I'm a train wreck if I do that.

"I look at what points I earned and focus on that.

"You can hear it when someone gets 10s, we heard it tonight.

"We heard it and said 'oh of course', but it was surprising he missed the other dives, but that's diving, it's a lot of pressure, but it can happen on any day."

It was business as usual in the women's 10m platform final as China's Liu Huixia took victory ahead of Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Roseline Filion ©Getty ImagesIt was business as usual in the women's 10m platform final as China's Liu Huixia took victory ahead of Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Roseline Filion ©Getty Images



There was less commotion in the women's 10m platform final as China's Liu Huixia ran out the predictable winner.

China's women have now won the last eight World Series 10m platform events since the start of 2013, courtesy of three different divers, So Yajia, Chen Roulin and Huixia.

It was a more intense battle for the two remaining podium places, with positions changing almost every dive.

It was Malaysia's Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong Pamg who eventually clinched silver however, as she edged Canada's Roseline Filion by just 3.55 points to repeat the placings from the 10m synchro final on Thursday.

The FINA Diving World Series is now due to move to London's Aquatic Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic on April 25 to 27, before competitors make their way to Moscow on May 2 to 4.

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