OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS TARGET CANADIAN COMEBACK
Britain's top divers will be put to the test when they face
some of the world's biggest Olympic hopes at the CAMO Invitational
meet this weekend in Canada.
The 14-strong squad go into the meet with British synchro
team selection up for grabs as National Performance Director
Steve Foley will make his selection for the pairs to represent
Great Britain at the Olympic qualifier in Beijing in February.
"As this competition makes up the second half of the
synchro trials we are looking to see which partnerships are
the most successful for us," said Foley.
"We are testing a new partnership in Tom Daley and Blake
Adridge who will dive in the 10m synchro. Blake is a more
experienced diver and has shown an excellent level of consistency
recently and it's great for us to be able to have these choices
with our pairings.
"For Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield this is their
first major international since 2005 and will give them the
opportunity to show the world they are back to their best.
"It is great for us to have them in contention again
as they have a vast amount of experience that will help us
as we try to qualify for a place in Beijing next year."
Foley is looking forward to seeing the Athens Olympic silver
medallists back on the international circuit as they look
to continue their preparation for next summer's Games.
"This event will help improve their fitness and give
them competition experience. My aim for Leon and Peter is
to gain over 440 points. This will show me that they are on
track for a good performance at the World Cup next year,"
said Foley.
Britain's divers have suffered with a catalogue of injuries
this year but Foley is excited that the worst seems to be
over and realises the importance of using the Montreal event
to get his athletes ready for an Olympic year.
"This is a big meet for all of our athletes," said
Foley. "We would usually use it as a hit out for our
junior athletes but this year has been like nothing I've known
before injury-wise so we are using it for our potential World
Cup team to give them competition experience in the months
before the vital event.
"It will be tough for the squad as it is Canada's World
Cup trial and they will be putting out their first team. I
will be looking for our athletes to step up to the challenge
of competing against world and Olympic medallists such as
Alex Despatie."
Foley has been encouraged by strong performances at recent
international events and believes his divers have what it
takes to make an impact on the world stage.
"The young guys in our squad are growing in confidence
and we saw some of them emerging in the Britain versus Germany
meet where the likes of Tom Daley, Tonia Couch, Nick Robinson-Baker
and Ben Swain really stepped up to show how well they could
compete against some world class divers," explained Foley.
"This event will show us how well they can compete on
foreign soil. They won't have the support of a home crowd
and will be facing foreign judges. This fact is vitally important
in getting themselves known to judges around the world in
the run up to the Olympics."
Olympic medallist Leon Taylor returned from injury at the
Britain versus Germany invitational meet and goes into this
event with the desire to prove he has what it takes to qualify
Great Britain a place at the 2008 Olympics.
"I am looking to put in some good performances here,"
Taylor said. "With this being a synchro trial Pete and
I are aware of just how important this competition is.
"We always go into a competition with the mind-set to
win, we were happy with our performance against Germany and
we know how to build on that. It's been tough after having
so long out but we believe we are strong enough to gain success
at this competition. Our confidence is growing.
"I am happy with our preparation and we are going to
use this event to build our competitive fitness before the
British Championships in January and the World Cup in February."
For young diving prospect Thomas Daley this competition gives
him the chance to continue his impressive year and to prove
he is a force to be reckoned with around the world.
"I want to dive consistently and do the best I can,"
Daley said. "I've enjoyed competing against Leon and
Peter recently and my ultimate aim is to beat them but I know
that they have a lot of experience so to keep in touch with
them in Canada would be great.
"I am diving with a new partner, we have been working
together for a month now and it is feeling good. The synchronisation
is natural between us and our dives are really consistent.
We have done a lot of work and I am hopeful that we can get
some good scores.
"If this event goes well then my next focus will be
to qualify for the World Cup in Beijing so I have the chance
to qualify for the Olympics. It would be amazing to go to
an Olympics at 14."
The British Diving squad competing at the CAMO Invitational,
Montreal, Canada (6th to 9th December) comprises:
Callum Johnstone (City of Leeds)
Thomas Daley (Plymouth Diving)
Ben Swain (City of Sheffield)
Nicholas Robinson-Baker (City of Sheffield)
Blake Aldridge (Southampton Diving)
Charles Calvert (City of Leeds)
Peter Waterfield (Southampton Diving)
Leon Taylor (City of Sheffield)
Tandi Gerrard (City of Leeds)
Stacie Powell (Southampton Diving)
Tonia Couch (Plymouth Diving)
Sarah Barrow (Plymouth Diving)
Monique McCarroll (Southampton Diving)
Hayley Sage (City of Sheffield)
|
