Russian duo triumph

Davydova and Ermakova, the leading pair through two days of preliminary rounds, maintained Russia's grip on the title following the retirement of Olga Brusnikina and Maria Kisseleva, champions at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

They collected three perfect 10s out of a possible five for technical merit and a sweep of five out of five for artistic impression for their final free programme performed to music from Don Quixote.

That gave them an aggregate total of 99.334 points, comprising 50 percent of the final free routine marks (49.917) and 50 percent of their scores from Monday's technical routine (49.417).

Japan's Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda, silver medallists at the Sydney Olympics and the 2003 world championships in Barcelona, picked up another silver with 98.417 points.

Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova of the United States took the bronze with 96.918 points, moving up from the fourth place Russian-born Kozlova and her former duet partner Tuesday Middaugh achieved in 2000.

Spain's Gemma Mengual and Paola Tirados, bronze medallists ahead of the Americans at the 2003 world championships in Barcelona, had to settle for fourth on 96.251.

Solo world champion Virginie Dedieu, duet bronze medallist for France at the Sydney Olympics with Myriam Lignot, was fifth this time with new partner Laure Thibaud.

Twelve pairs contested the duet final.

Synchronised swimming entered the Olympic programme at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.