A selection of some of the Junior Elite Diving Squad from Plymouth Diving recently made the trip to the brand new John Charles Centre in Leeds for the G Star Diving Championships. Formerly the Northern Cross Diving Championships, the Leeds team recently re-named the competition to commemorate the tragic loss of life of Gavin Brown a former Leeds and nationally renowned diver of great character and talent, from a hit and run accident in Southampton a year to the weekend of the Northern Cross competition. Gavin was just 22 years of age.

As such the competition this year was a celebration of Gavin’s life and many of the coaches and the Leeds team hoped it would reflect Gavin’s colourful life!

It certainly did with a number of the countries most talented young divers taking part.

From Plymouth’s point of view – the star of the team was Emma Barrow, younger sister of the club’s senior Great Britain international team member, Sarah.

Emma (17) was by no means the favourite in her event going up against Great Britain international Helen Galashan diving in her home pool. But the format of competition takes an interesting twist in Leeds as they run a more formal preliminary competition to get six finalists and then run a ‘knock-out’ competition.

Under this format all six divers start the final and the diver with the lowest score of each round is knocked out until you are left with the top two divers and here Emma faced Helen in a final dive-off where she had left her relatively ‘easy’ back one and a half somersaults from the lower five metre board. This dive was not expected to beat the back armstand dive from Helen on the ten metre but under the pressure Helen made a big mistake and victory and the gold medal was Emma’s!!

Aaron Walters (14) diving in the boys 14-15 age group also had a successful weekend making all three of his finals finishing sixth in two but claiming a bronze medal in the one metre only 1.3 points from winning the event. Aaron and Emma will next travel to the ASA National Elite Junior competitions where they will dive in the trials for the Junior and Youth European Championships.

Other Plymouth divers competing finished as follows: Harry Glover (16) 7^th, Elliot Hatherley (16) 10^th & 12^th, Steve Glynn (17) 14^th & 15^th, Jack Glover (14) 7^th, Ashley Hendrick (13) 7^th, 12^th & 14^th and Jenny Bunsell (11) 9^th, 10^th & 14^th. Of these, Harry Glover and Elliott Hatherley will compete at the forthcoming ASA National Junior Elite Finals in Leeds at the end of the month joined by Kyle Prior and Jenny MacDonald, also from Plymouth.

Also competing this weekend, although thousands of miles away in Mexico, were Tom Daley, Sarah Barrow and Brooke Graddon, the clubs more well known international stars. They were competing in the first of three World Diving series events, the second of which is in Sheffield on 24^th & 25^th May.

Here they faced the top eight divers in the world in their respective events and it was a tough event for all three.

Brooke started out in the women’s platform and has been dogged by a leg injury and couldn’t find much form and so didn’t make the final.

Tom started well but found himself in a very tough semi-final with two Chinese divers present with only two to go through to the final and so he missed out. In his synchronised event with partner Blake Aldridge from Southampton there were high expectations as they were ranked 3^rd in the world but they were outgunned on this occasion finishing fifth just missing the final.

Sarah was diving in the synchronised ten metre event with her partner Monique McCarroll from Southampton and had some tough competition as they are currently ranked 7^th in the world with four pairs to make the final. Although diving well they couldn’t make it through to the top four. All three will travel to Sheffield for the second leg where they will be hoping the home crowd will spur them on to greater things!

For any potential new divers out there, Plymouth Diving are offering the chance to try diving for FREE this May half term holiday – Tuesday 27^th and Thursday 29^th May. Ring 01752 607206

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