The pair led from the first round and finished on 490.35 points.

Tom Daley and Noah Williams of Britain took silver with 463.44 points, followed by Canada’s Ryan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray who won bronze.

Yang Hao, 26, and 23-year-old Lian Junjie have dominated the world championships in the last three years in the event but it was their first time to stand on top of the Olympic podium.

The Chinese pair, the 7th to start, kicked off their routines with a forward dive in pike position and immediately established their lead.

They exhibited refined skills in their last dive and the most difficult routine in their programme – the forward four and a half somersault with a near-perfect entry, which landed the event’s highest score on Monday – 103.23 points.

Daley fell short of upsetting China’s dream team but he and partner Williams received roaring cheers and applause from the audience, as they witnessed what might just have been the 30-year-old five-time Olympian’s last Olympic performance. Daley has not said what he plans to do after Paris.

Canada’s Wiens and Zsombor-Murray walked away the pool with a big smile as they claimed their first medal in an Olympic diving event.