THE KLINGERCOOK TROPHY

7 November 2007

Following the phenomenal performances of Plymouth's leading four divers in Sheffield over the last two days, Coach Andy Banks can certainly lay claim to be the UK's leading diving coach.

Whilst some of the UK's most experienced divers failed to make the grade, including Olympic Silver Medalist Peter Waterfield, Banks's young charges excelled and every one of the four achieved a personal best score in at least one of their events.

This is largely down to the extensive training programme written by Banks, in conjunction with their extensive Sports Science and Medicine support network and the absolute dedication and personal sacrifice from coach and athlete.

The team's day consists of 2 daily training sessions, 6 days a week, of between 2 and 3 hours per session, incorporating free weights, gymnastics, trampolining, strength & conditioning and of course diving.

Thomas Daley (13) has sent a warning shot to GB's pair of Olympic silver medalists Peter Waterfield (Southampton) and Leon Taylor (Sheffield) who now know that this youngster is after their spots on the Beijing Olympic Team.  He won the preliminary of the Mens Platform event (with Waterfield missing the final in 5^th place) and narrowly missed gold in the final, finishing second behind German Norman Becker.

In the synchronised platform event (the event where Waterfield and Taylor claimed their Olympic silver medal in 2004 and 4^th place in 2000), Thomas teamed up with partner and friend Callum Johnstone from Leeds and their outstanding performance almost caused the biggest upset of the entire event.  In 10 years, Waterfield and Taylor have never been beaten in this event by a British pair - Daley and Johnstone came within 11 points in over 400, of doing just that, with a personal best score of 410.

The more experienced pair will have a lot to think about as they prepare for the British Championships and World Cup Trial in January.

Since 2005 when she first broke the British record, Tonia Couch (18) has been one of the UK's leading female platform divers, however her recently increased training hours and a real fire and determination not previously seen in this bubbly teenager, have sparked an improvement with 2 huge performances, 2 personal best scores, a British record and a gold medal in the Women's Platform Final.  She also put in another consistent performance in the Women's synchronised platform final, finishing 3^rd with Stacie Powell from Southampton. 

Since her Junior European medal in 2005, Brooke Graddon has battled with persistent glandular fever and more recently a suspected fractured vertebra that has led to long periods off training and nearly 12 months out of the competitive game.  However, when many athletes may have thrown in the towel, she is now fitter than ever and her problems over the past couple of years have simply made her more determined to succeed and succeed she did.  With a personal best score, she beat off opposition from Stacie Powell (Southampton), Britain's most experienced women's platform diver, to join team-mate Tonia Couch in the final of the Women's platform and then, just to prove that it was not a one off performance, she stepped up yet another gear and although she couldn't overhaul team-mate Couch, she scored an even bigger personal best score in the final, to herald a spectacular come back to competition and fitness.

Completing the Fab-Four, Sarah Barrow put in a personal best performance with Partner Monique McCarroll from Southampton, in the Womens synchronised platform event.  It was the first time they had taken the more experienced scalps of GB's number 1 pairing since 2005, Stacie Powell and Tonia Couch and as the first of a 3-leg trial to determine which pairing will represent GB at the World Cup next year, they now have the upper hand.  The second leg will be at the CAMO meeting in December in Canada.  If Couch & Powell win in Canada, it will come down to who wins the British Championships and World Cup Trial in January, but if Barrow and McCarroll win in Canada, they will have booked their place to Beijing for the World Cup.

So, as the Team return to Plymouth, Coach Andy Banks can reflect on a highly successful campaign that highlighted him as Britain's top coach and as well as putting his four divers in the running for Beijing consideration, will also have put him in the frame for selection as the 2008 Olympic Coach.

What a phenomenal two days of diving.