DIVING TALENT FACES TEST ON WORLD STAGE
Britain's most talented young divers are planning to save
their best until last when they conclude their long season
next week at the World Junior Championships.
The premier event on the junior international calendar falls
at the end of a season that began way back in February. However,
the team is confident it will be able to maintain its performance
peak to deliver the right results.
The five-day competition gets underway at the Malaysian National
Aquatic Centre on Wednesday (23rd August) at the end of which
the British team will be expected to have achieved its targets.
Junior Olympic Programme Manager for British Diving Kim White
has set tough standards for his young athletes as they look
to continue the good progress made on the international scene
this year.
"Our aim is to leave Kuala Lumpur with a medal as well
as a host of top 10 finishes," said White. "This
is what we need in order to show our continued improvement
at this level.
"It's practically the same team we had competing at
the European Junior Championships in Majorca last month but
they're more experienced for that reason and there is a real
team unity about them.
Tonia Couch (Plymouth Diving) is an addition to the squad
but goes into the competition as a real medal prospect after
sixth places finishes off the tower at the senior Europeans
earlier this month as well as the World Cup.
"Both Tonia and Callum Johnstone (City of Leeds) will
be our best prospects for a medal but we're not writing anyone
off. They all have it within them to step up and they've had
great seasons to date which, for some, started with the Commonwealth
Games back in March," added White.
"Johnstone also has a good record in the competition
as the platform diver medalled two years ago in the younger
age group for athletes aged 14 to 15.
"He'll now be competing in the first year of the 16
to 18 age range so he'll be up against it but he's dived well
this year. A lot will depend on the strength of the other
nations and whether our divers can peak on their day but we
expect them to be in there fighting."
The team will be without Katie Hamilton as the Sheffield-based
diver recovers from a knee injury which has proved a real
disappointment for the medal prospect.
Despite this set-back White is confident the team can rise
to the occasion.
"We've got a good record of medals in this competition
and I'm confident the team will be able to continue that trend
next week," he said.
"It's been a long season for all with the Commonwealth
Games, World Cup, European Juniors and Seniors and now the
World Youth Championships. These competitions take their toll
on the body although the athletes are young enough to recover.
"What we've tried to do is to keep them at their peak
over what has been a very long period. We can't expect best
performances in every major international they compete in
but the competitions give them vital experience for the future
and show how tough, both physically and mentally, you have
top be to compete at this level."
The World Youth Championships take place in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from 23rd to 27th August 2006.
The British squad comprises: Emily Alderman
(Southampton Diving); Sarah Barrow (Plymouth Diving); Claire
Blencowe (City of Sheffield); Tonia Couch (Plymouth Diving);
Elizabeth Heald (City of Sheffield); Jodie McGroarty (City
of Sheffield); Aimee Walker (City of Leeds); Max Brick (Southampton
Diving); Charles Calvert (Plymouth Diving): Callum Johnstone
(City of Leeds); Kyle Prior (Plymouth Diving).
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