WATERFIELD TARGETS COMEBACK AGAINST WORLD'S ELITE
British divers will be action next month when they host the
world's elite divers in a two-day Sheffield-based competition
that puts the best against the best just a year out from the
Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Olympic medallist Peter Waterfield (Southampton Diving) will
lead a British contingent at the inaugural FINA Diving World
Series that includes the likes of talented youngsters Tom
Daley (Plymouth Diving) and Stacie Powell (Southampton Diving).
Only the world's highest ranked divers have been invited
to compete in the event and number one ranked nation China
will be there in force but will face competition from Canada,
Germany, Australia, Russia, the USA, Italy as well as a young
British contingent.
A total of 63 of the world's most decorated and talented
divers will battle it out for honours in the 3m and 10m individual
and synchro events over the two days at Ponds Forge International
Sports Centre before the FINA World Diving Series continues
in Mexico (8th-9th September) and China (15th-16th September).
For Waterfield it will provide the first opportunity to dive
competitively since an injury forced him out of the water
two months ago and saw him miss out on competition at the
FINA Diving Grand Prix in Germany as well as the British Championships.
Waterfield (26) suffered a rib injury while performing a
dive in training and, whereas he is still suffering some discomfort,
he's desperate to return to form and sees the Diving World
Series as providing a suitable focus for his recuperation.
"For the first time in a number of weeks I've been able
to perform my full list of dives in training and I'm back
off the 10m tower so I'm really pleased about that and I'm
looking forward to getting my edge back," said Waterfield.
"I'm not competition ready at the moment but I still
feel strong and have a few more weeks yet to go until I have
to go up against the best divers in the world.
"It's going to be such a tough event because the quality
of the field really is second to none. These are the best
divers in the world today and the standard of competition
will be right up there with the Olympics."
Waterfield believes that British crowds will have a vital
role to play in boosting the performances of the host divers
and recalls how crowds at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester
2002 lifted him to glory.
"It's always a real buzz to dive in front of a home
crowd and they will be able to lift the British athletes through
their support," said Waterfield. "We definitely
need people behind us because the majority of the team are
young and will be experiencing this standard of competition
for the first time.
"I'm just happy to be competing once again and I know
I'll stand up there and do the best that I can in such an
awesome event."
The competition offers spectators and volunteers the opportunity
to be part of the biggest diving event ever to be held in
the UK, outside of an Olympics, and they can expect thrilling
encounters from a field of divers that features two Olympic
Champions, four additional Olympic medallists, 12 World Champions
and 24 World Championship medallists.
* Tickets are now on sale via the ASA Awards website and
are priced £10 for adults per day, £5 for children
per day or weekend tickets are priced at £15 for adults
and £7.50 for children.
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