Newbery dives to gold

Newbery, who had shared bronze with Irina Lashko in the three-metre synchronised event, went into the final in third place after Saturday's four semi-final dives but took the lead in the third round of the five-dive final and went on to win comfortably.

It was the second Olympic diving gold ever for Australia, whose first was won by Richmond Eve in the men's plain high diving event in 1924.

"I'm pretty excited to have come home with a gold medal," Newbery said.

China's Lao Lishi, world silver medallist, dropped from first to fourth in the second round but pulled back in the final round from third to take the silver.

Australia's Loudy Tourky, world championship bronze medallist in 2001, led after the second round but dropped to third with a badly executed arm-stand dive.

She dropped to fourth with one round to go but recovered to claim the bronze, completing a great evening for the Chinese-coached Australians.

World champion Emilie Heymans of Canada dropped from second to fourth on the final dive.

Newbery, whose husband Robert took bronzes in the men's synchronised three-metre and platform finals, amassed 590.31 points from her four semi-final and five final dives.

Lao took the silver with 576.30 and Tourky the bronze with 561.66, with Heymans fourth on 555.03.

Defending champion Laura Wilkinson of the United States could never get into real medal contention and finished fifth on 549.72, just ahead of China's Li Ting, who shared gold with Lao in the synchronised platform event but had two poor dives in the final and ended sixth.

Newbery achieved Australia's first world championship diving medal back in 1998 when, as Chantelle Michell, she took the bronze in the three-metre springboard event.