ATHENS (CP) -- Emilie Heymans and Blythe Hartley won Canada's first medal of the Summer Olympics on Monday, a bronze in the women's synchronized 10-metre event.

Chinese teenagers Lishi Lao and Ting Li won the gold and Russians Natalia Goncharova and Yulia Koltunova the silver.

Heymans, from Montreal, and Hartley, from Edmonton, previously finished seventh in the synchro springboard.

Both divers have better chances at medals in their individual events -- Heymans in the 10-metre and Hartley in springboard.

The 10-metre synchro event was a warmup for Heymans, the world champion in the individual event. The preliminary round of the women's tower starts Friday.

Heymans won a silver in the same synchro event four years ago in Sydney with a different partner.