It was the U.S.’s first medal of the Championships after taking fourth in three other events.

“We’ve been so close on so many events, and it feels so good to have a medal,” Finchum said. “It’s not first, but third place in the world is not bad.”

By the end of the fourth round, the Chinese had all but wrapped up the gold medal, but the Russians and the Americans were in a battle for the silver. Heading into the final round, Boudia and Finchum led Dobroskok and Galperin by less than a point.

Both teams ended with a back 2 ½ with 2 ½ twists, and the Russians slightly outscored Boudia and Finchum to move into the second spot.

“We just wanted to go out and dive well,” Boudia said. “It was a lot of fun, and the crowd was going wild. This will really help us prepare for Beijing.”

Boudia and Finchum won the preliminary round, finishing .06 points ahead of the Chinese with 446.70 points.

“To beat the Chinese in the prelims was just awesome, and I’m really happy with our performance in the finals,” Boudia said.

The medal came after a disappointing outing in the 10-meter individual event earlier in the week. Neither diver advanced to the semifinals, with Finchum placing 19th and Boudia 23rd.

“Despite a sub-par individual performance, they continued to strive towards their best, adjusting their routine and believing in themselves,” said John Wingfield, who coaches the two 17-year-olds. “They came up with a phenomenal synchro preliminary round and then grabbed the bronze in the final. I am proud of them.”

In Monday’s other final, the women’s 3-meter synchro, Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) and Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif.) took 10th with 286.80 points. The Chinese pair of Wu Minxia and Guo Jingjing won gold with 355.80. Germany’s Ditte Kotzian and Heike Fischer scored 318.45 points for silver, and Australia’s Sharleen Stratton and Briony Cole were third at 313.14.

- USA Diving -
About USA Diving: Featuring America’s best divers, USA Diving is the national governing body for the sport of diving. Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Diving offers diversified programs geared toward the broadest number of diving enthusiasts, from the novice to the world champion. USA Diving conducts approximately 40 regional and national events annually and is responsible for training and selecting teams that represent the United States at international events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup. For additional information please call Jennifer Lowery at (317) 237-5252 or visit www.usadiving.org.