WORLD'S DIVING ELITE BOUND FOR SHEFFIELD SHOWDOWN
The world's best divers will compete for international honours
in Sheffield less than a year out from the 2008 Beijing Olympics
when the city hosts the inaugural FINA Diving World Series
on 1st and 2nd September.
With an entry list that features two Olympic Champions, China's
Minxia Wu and Jingjing Guo, as well as four additional Olympic
medallists, 12 World Champions and 24 World Championship medallists,
the competition promises to showcase the very best of diving.
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.
Divers will compete for honours in the 3m and 10m individual
and synchro events at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre
before they the series continues in Mexico (8th-9th September)
and China (15th-16th September).
Spectators will be able to see 66 of the world's best divers
in action over the two days in what is arguably the highest
calibre of diving competition ever held in Britain.
British Diving National Performance Director Steve Foley
believes the valuable experience his athletes will gather
against such divers can only serve them well as they look
to prepare for Beijing and beyond to London 2012.
"The FINA Diving World Series provides and incredible
opportunity for British Diving and is exactly the type of
competition our divers need in the build-up to London 2012,"
said Foley.
"With Leon Taylor and Pete Waterfield out injured it
will give junior divers such as Thomas Daley and Callum Johnstone
the chance to compete against the best synchro teams in the
world. As potential champions in 2012 they'll be diving against
current world champions and this will give them invaluable
experience five years out from London.
"It's important our athletes have the opportunity to
compete against diving's household names. The more they get
used to competing against with the world's best the more they
feel they belong there. By 2012 our athletes must know they
belong there and they are capable of challenging for medals."
Foley expects the support of large home crowds will spur
his divers on as they compete against the biggest names in
the sport.
"If our divers can beat just one or two of their opponents
in the world series it will give them real confidence and
will show the judges Britain is capable of performing at the
top," explained Foley. "In the synchro events in
particular it's an opportunity to show we are one of the best
synchro nations in the world and British support will help
us achieve this."
As well as allowing British divers to compete in a world
class event on home soil, the FINA World Diving Series provides
an exciting opportunity for British Swimming staff and volunteers
to gain valuable experience of hosting international events
in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics in five year's
time.
"For our events staff and volunteers it's a chance for
them to get to grips with running an international event and
to get everything right before 2012," said Foley.
"This really is the one of the best fields ever to have
competed at a diving event and certainly in Britain. The opportunity
for people in this country to witness the sport at its highest
calibre is just fantastic and the competition will be thrilling."
|
