GWANGJU, South Korea, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese divers Wang Zongyuan and defending champion Peng Jianfeng topped the men's 1m springboard heats on the opening day of the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships here on Friday.

17-year-old Wang, who is participating at the worlds for the first time, dominated in most of the six rounds to collect a total of 429.40 points, while defending champion Peng finished second with 410.80.

Local favorite Woo Ha-ram came third with 396.10, followed by Mexico's Rommel Pacheco, who celebrated his 33rd birthday with a score of 390.40.

"It was a great honor to be selected in the Chinese squad for the tournament, though I was very nervous because it is my first world championships," said Wang. "I made some small mistakes but overall I was good during the heats."

Peng paid tribute to his teammate's impressive showing. "I did not show my best form today, but I was happy that my roommate Wang performed well," he said.

Meanwhile, China's former world champion Li Shixin, who now competes for Australia, had a difficult day, making a mistake in his fourth 405B and finishing 15th overall with 338.60.

"It was a pity that I jumped too far forward on the board in the 405B. I tried to control my body in the air but I failed," said the 31-year-old.

A total of 44 divers competed in the men's 1m springboard, while the women's 1m springboard heats will take place later on Friday afternoon.