World Aquatics Championships: Bronze for Laugher & Mears

Jack Laugher and Chris Mears have claimed Britain's first medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Russia with bronze in the synchronised 3m springboard final.

The Commonwealth champions have also secured Team GB a place in the event at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The duo battled back from a poor start to score 445.2 and finish behind winners China and Russia.

It is Britain's first World Championship medal in the event.

It is also Team GB's first World Championship diving medal since Tom Daley's gold in 2009 in Rome.

"This is a biggie for us," Laugher, 20, said. "It's probably the crowning achievement of my career so far and to have my best mate stood next to me as well is what makes it even sweeter."

Their performance in Kazan also secured GB's first diving quota place for next year's Olympic Games in Brazil.

"It's a personal best score, which is amazing, and to get that Rio spot as well is a huge weight off our shoulders now so we can sit back and enjoy," Laugher added.

Mears, 22, suffered a back spasm in February which ruled him out of the World Series event in Kazan that month.

"It (my back) is still hurting a bit now and it's temperamental, so my preparation coming into this event isn't what I wanted it to be," he said.

"But it just proves that if you're in the right mindset you can achieve anything."

Laugher and Mears will return for the individual 3m competition which begins with the preliminary round on Thursday and ends with the final on Friday evening.