SAGAMIHARA, Japan – Jennifer Abel and Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu opened the FINA Diving World Series with a silver medal on Friday while fellow Canadians Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay won bronze.

Abel, from Laval, Que., and Citrini-Beaulieu, from Saint-Constant, Que., finished second in the women’s three-metre synchro springboard with 302.97 points, just ahead of Australia’s Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith (301.83). China’s Tingmao Shi and Han Wang took the gold with 330.00 points.

“It’s been a really long off-season for us,” said Abel. “Usually we always compete so we know exactly where we are and what we have to improve. But now since we didn’t compete since June, I didn’t know if I was doing well. I didn’t feel as good as I feel right now so it was pretty hard mentally to manage that.”

Benfeito, from Montreal, and McKay, from Calgary, were third in the women’s 10-metre synchro platform with 311.70 points. Wei Lu and Jiaqi Zhang of China won gold (340.44) while North Korea’s A Rim Kim and Mi Rae Kim took silver (319.50).

“This year we made it a goal to really just focus on ourselves and I think that’s what’s really helping us perform better,” said Benfeito.

Philippe Gagne of Ville Mont-Royal, Que., and Francois Imbeau-Dulac of St-Lazare, Que., were fourth in the men’s three-metre synchro springboard.

Competition continues Saturday.