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Fu leads springboard preliminaries

From Sports Illustrated • SI Images: Photos from the Games • Brian Cazeneuve: Sheets leads U.S. past Cubans • Tim Layden: Track and field notebook • Richard Hoffer: Bennett's career remains promising despite loss • Jack McCallum: Wrestler who sued to make team earns silver | Gardner slays a giant • Leigh Montville: Armstrong chase for gold comes up short this time • John Walters: The Channel Guy -- The Sydney Games have provided a soap-opera spirit • Medal Picks: SI's Predictions More Features • Angelo Taylor Diary: Winning provides a great feeling • Sydney Scene: Luba Vangelova -- Oi, Oi, Oy • Day at a Glance: On track when it counts • Wake-up Call: Tracking the day in sports • Viewers' Guide: Sept. 27 • Quiz: Today's Tester Athletes • Just Checking In: U.S. soccer player Landon Donovan • Athlete Bios: U.S. Rosters Multimedia • Photo Gallery: Shots of the Day • Photo Gallery: Upsets galore • Multimedia Central: Photo Galleries, Video and More

SYDNEY, Sept 27 (AFP) - China's triple Olympic diving gold medallist Fu Mingxia lead the field into Wednesday night's 3m springboard semi-finals.

The 22-year-old Fu, the defending champion, secured 342.75 points after five rounds to finish top of the 18 qualifying divers and finish just ahead of Chinese teammate and world silver-medallist Guo Jingjing (332.67).

World champion Ioulia Pakhalina of Russia qualified third on 316.08.

Mingxia and Jingjing, who joined forces for a silver medal behind Russia in Saturday's synchronised diving, look likely to fight each other for Thursday's 3m springboard gold medal.

Fu, who is making an Olympic comeback after retiring in Atlanta as an 18-year-old, will equal American diving greats Greg Louganis and Pat McCormick's record of four gold if she can win Thursday.

The 22-year-old Fu became the youngest world champion aged 12 years and a year later won the same event at the Barcelona Olympics, before sweeping both women's diving titles in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, German Conny Schmalfuss landed flat on her back on her second dive, a reverse two and a half somersault, earning a series of ducks from the seven judges.

Schmalfuss, 24, who won bronze in the event at the European Championships in Istanbul last year, stepped out of the pool in pain but the near capacity crowd cheered her effort nevertheless.

She took to the board again for her third dive but was pulled out by her coach before completing her program after injuring her elbow in the missed dive.

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