PLYMOUTH’S Tonia Couch and her 10m synchro partner Lois Toulson had to settle for a second successive fifth place at the latest FINA/NVC World Series event in Guangzhau on Thursday morning.

The duo had also come fifth last weekend at the opening World Series leg in Beijing.

Couch and Toulson did improve on their score from the first competition. They collected 308.16 points in Guangzhau, compared to 294.72 in Beijing, but they had to make do with the same placing behind the same rivals.

China’s Qian Ren and Yani Chang were once again winners in their own country, scoring 347.82 points.

North Korea’s Kuk Hyang Kim and Mi Rae Kim swapped their Beijing bronze medal for a silver in Guangzhau with 339.72 points.

Malaysia’s Pandelela Pamg and Jun Hoong Cheong, who had finished second in Beijing, were third this time around with 332.46 points.

Canada’s Caeli McKay and Meaghan Benfeito were fourth again with 313.98 points.

Meanwhile, Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow had to pull out of men’s 10m synchro competition as Goodfellow was struggling with injury.

Daley will compete in the mixed three-metre event with Grace Reid on Friday morning and then the men’s individual competition on Saturday.