TAYLOR FORCED TO DROP 10M AS DIVERS HIT BY INJURY
Britain's divers are facing a race against time to be fit
for Monday's start to the World Championships in Melbourne.
Injury and illness has plagued the team since its announcement
earlier this year but British Diving National Performance
Director Steve Foley is hopeful staff and athletes can work
together to be fit in time for their main events on the diving
programme.
Leon Taylor (City of Sheffield), an Olympic and World medallist,
is suffering from a back injury and his decision to withdraw
from the individual 10m event comes as a bitter blow following
an 18month recuperation leading into the World Championships
from a previous shoulder injury.
And a question mark still remains over his inclusion in the
Men's 10m Synchro event, arguably Britain's strongest chance
of a medal in Melbourne, with Taylor and partner Pete Waterfield
(Southampton Diving) having been unable to train together
as they would have liked in preparing for the championships.
"Melbourne really hasn't been kind to me as a competition
venue," said Taylor. "I was forced to pull out of
the Commonwealth Games last year due to my shoulder and I'm
currently working hard with our medical team to make sure
I don't have to do the same at these World Championships.
"I'm gutted because I'd recovered from the shoulder
problem, dived well in December at the British Championships
to qualify for the Worlds and now the only chance I have of
competing is on the final day in the synchro event."
And Taylor isn't the only casualty on the British list. Partner
Waterfield is suffering from an ear infection but should be
free for his individual 10m event, Hayley Sage (City of Sheffield)
has a foot injury and Stacie Powell (Southampton Diving) has
a damaged thumb.
It leaves Foley in an unusual and unenviable position but
the Australian is trying to get his divers fit enough to compete
and to use the event to try to qualify Britain for next year's
Beijing Olympics.
"Perth was a good camp but we have some injury problems
that we're still trying to rectify in time for the competition,"
said Foley.
"We've had some tough calls to make and Leon won't be
competing in the individual event. Given his injury, he'll
only be competing in the 10m Synchro with Waterfield and there's
even a doubt over that at the moment.
"Taylor isn't quite 100% and is still short of some
of his more complex dives. Our staff our working furiously
on him though to get him ready in time for his event which
is at the back of the diving programme.
"It's just a shame that Taylor and Waterfield have been
unable to train together as a pair but they're both experienced
guys and we're just hoping they can put some dives together
before they compete as a pair in a week's time."
Britain lost their first team member back in January when
Tony Ally (City of Sheffield) damaged a knee ligament yet,
despite the added injuries to the list, Foley and the team
are trying to remain positive.
"Sage has an ongoing foot problem and had an injection
on it last Wednesday to try to loosen it off," added
Foley. "Both her and Tandi Gerrard look good in the 3m
synchro when her foot isn't causing an issue so by the time
they come to compete we're hoping she will be back to normal.
"In the Women's 10m Synchro Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell
are going well but they've got some way to go, because of
the thumb injury to Powell, to get to the same level they
were at earlier this season. They've not been able to train
together as often so they're not as well drilled but we'll
have to wait to see how they react to the competition environment.
"These injuries have really thrown a spanner in the
works but we'll be looking to overcome these issues as best
as we can and I think we can still come away from Melbourne
with three of the individual events qualified for the Beijing
Olympics.
"It's a tough sport and you hit the water with tremendous
force when diving off the 10m tower so injuries do happen.
Get it wrong and it can be like landing on concrete.
"As a team we've had individual problems before but
it seems like it's our turn to have more than our fair share.
Sometimes that's the way diving is given the impacts encountered."
Britain also have a number of younger athletes in the ranks
who will be taking part in their first ever World championships.
"For the younger guys this will be a huge test and a
great experience," said Foley. "They're all excited
about the prospect and will take a lot from it which will
serve them well as they look to the future and London 2012,"
said Foley.
"Gareth Jones (Southampton Diving) will replace Taylor
in the individual 10m event and this will provide a great
opportunity for the young diver to step forward and show what
he's capable of."
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