SYNCHRO PAIR TAKE BRONZE IN ROME
Great Britain's divers won three medals at the Rome Diving
Grand Prix over the weekend.
Olympic silver medallist Peter Waterfield led the way with
a silver medal in the ten-metre platform individual final
on Saturday, before teaming up with fellow Athens hero Leon
Taylor to snatch bronze in the ten-metre synchro final - the
first time the pair having dived together for nearly ten months.
And not to be outdone Crystal Palace diver Blake Aldridge
set a new British record with a silver medal in the one-metre
springboard final.
Aldridge's dive also earned him a new personal best as the
GB team celebrated sweet success in Italy, a welcome confidence-booster
ahead of the National Championships and World Championships
next month.
"It's been a great weekend for British diving,"
said Steve Foley, the Great Britain National Diving Performance
Director.
"Peter's performance in the ten-metre competition was
excellent, but the final day could not have gone any better
for us.
"We just wanted Leon and Peter to have a good hit-out
because they've not dived together since the Olympics, so
to win a bronze medal was a fantastic achievement.
"Two medals would have been an excellent achievement
against a world-class field, but then Blake stepped up to
the plate and dived brilliantly, so winning three medals was
the icing on the cake.
"I'm so happy for of all our divers, they've done me
and their country proud this weekend."
Spurred on by success in the individual ten-metre platform,
Southampton's Waterfield came together with Sheffield's Taylor
looking for honours in the synchro final.
And although Taylor had a neck injury, which nearly forced
him to withdraw from the competition, the dynamic duo shone.
Russia won gold and host nation Italy came second, although
the Great Britain pair were just 0.3 points behind them in
the overall rankings after a thrilling series of final dives.
"It was a great final and we nearly had silver,"
added Foley.
"But to win a bronze medal, against such a world-class
field, is excellent especially because both divers have been
injured for most of this season."
Success in the synchro competition was unexpected for the
British team, with both Waterfield and Sheffield's Taylor
likely to have been rusty having not dived with each other
for so long.
Taylor was understandably delighted with his performances
in Italy and is now looking forward to the national championships
in Southampton this month, which also double up as World Championships
qualifiers for Montreal.
"It's been great to get a good hit out with Peter,"
said Taylor. "It's been such a long time since we've
dived together.
"Winning a medal here is great for confidence. It's nice
to find some form, especially with the nationals around the
corner and then the World Championships."
The three-day competition also saw pleasing performances from
the rest of the British team, with youngsters Hayley Sage
and Emma Teather having produced credible performances in
the three-metre springboard competitions.
Plymouth's Tonia Couch and Gareth Jones, Sheffield's Claire
Blencowe and Ben Swain, and City of Leeds' Rebecca Galantree
also gained useful experience and a vital international competition
ahead of the World Championships, but closer to home this
year's nationals in Southampton.
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