DIVERS DESCEND ON MANCHESTER FOR VITAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Some of the best divers from across the UK will be returning
once again to the Manchester Aquatic Centre on the 15-17th
December for the 2007 GB Diving Championships.
Many of the squad that travelled to Melbourne earlier this
year for the Commonwealth Games will be competing with the
rest of Great Britain's leading divers for a place on the
World Championship team, which will also be held at Melbourne's
sport and aquatic centre in March.
The championships will see Leon Taylor returning to action
after the shoulder injury that kept him out of the Commonwealth
Games. He will be competing in two events over the weekend,
one being the Platform synchro, which won him and his partner
Peter Waterfield their silver medal in the Olympics in 2004.
"I'm just so excited by the prospect of competing again
because the past few months have been the darkest of my career,"
said Taylor. "There were times I didn't think I'd be
able to dive again and that was very difficult to come to
terms with but I've worked hard, had great support and am
ready to return to my very best."
Also featuring in the championships will be up and coming
prospects Thomas Daley and Callum Johnstone, both will feature
alongside Leon Taylor in the Men's Platform event.
The winner of the finals will be crowned British Champion,
and the top two individual divers will represent Great Britain
in Melbourne. National Performance Director, Steve Foley,
wants to see consistency, as both Preliminary and Final performances
are important.
"This years' event will provide athletes with their
chance to make the squad for Melbourne," he said. "Previously
the emphasis has been on performances in the finals whereas
this year, the focus will be much on the preliminaries as
it is for the finals."
"At the Worlds, if you fail to make an impact in the
preliminary rounds then you don't get a second chance to progress
into the finals. I'm looking for consistency from the diver's
all the way through competition as this is vital for success."
Teams from Greece, the Czech Republic, Poland and Saudi Arabia
will also be competing for the first time in a British Championships.
Entry to the event is free and the competition kicks off
on Friday the 15th December at 10am with the Women's 1m Preliminary.
|
