BARCELONA, Spain, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Svetlana Romashina won on Wednesday the gold medal in the solo free routine of synchronized swimming at the World Swimming and Diving Championships in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona.

The 24-year-old Romashina scored a total of 97.340 points in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired routine which allowed her to win her third gold medal in Barcelona after her success in the solo and duet technical routine.

Romashina was followed by China's Xuechen Huang, who already has two world silver medals in the solo technical. Huang scored 95. 720 points interpreting a music piece from the Phantom of the Opera musical, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Local favorite Ona Carbonell scored a total of 94.290 points, paying tribute to Barcelona, her home, with a duet of soprano Montserrat Caballe and rock singer Freddie Mercury from Queen that had been written for 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Spectators in the Palau Sant Jordi got very excited about the song and Ona's performance, who said after swimming that she did not mind the score, because "the moment I have just experienced is once-in-a-lifetime".

On Thursday swimmers will compete in the duet free routine at the Palau Sant Jordi. Russia is the favorite to win gold medal, followed by China and Spain.

A total of 308 sportswomen are competing in synchronized swimming at the Worlds in Barcelona, which set a record in terms of participation reaching 2,293 athletes from 181 different countries and regions.