Medal magic for British divers in Montreal

The three-day competition saw an 11-strong team head to Canada for the event, as they looked to secure qualification for the Super Final in Berlin later this year, on top of adding to honours in the lead-up to May's British Diving Championships and with an eye on the summer's World Aquatics Championships. 

The women's platform events provided half of the podium appearances for the group, with Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix taking two medals at the Montreal Olympic Pool, including an individual bronze medal in the Women’s 10m Platform final.

Up against two of the world’s best in China's Quan Hongchan and Chan Yuxi,, the Dive London athlete put in four dives worth over 70 points to see her on to the third step on the podium in a new personal best score of 357.80, Andrea's Reverse 2 1/2 Somersaults Tuck (305C) earning her all 8.5s and 9s from the judging panel and her Inward 3 1/2 Somersaults Tuck (407C) scoring an eye-catching 76.80 in round two.

The 18-year-old then went one better in the Women’s 10m Synchro with City of Leeds’ Lois Toulson, who finished sixth in the individual event, as the pair topped off their campaign with a near 80-scoring dive on the final round to see them claim the silver medal ahead of some fierce competition in Germany and Ukraine. 

The Men’s 10m Platform also saw a significant performance from Noah Williams, with the 22-year-old putting himself right in the mix with the other athletes thanks to a Back 2 ½ Somersaults 2 ½ Twists Pike (5255B) which put him in first place after the first round of dives – putting him well on the way to a solid score, which ultimately ended with him finishing sixth. Matty Lee also went in the event, placing 11th.

The pair united for the Men’s 10m Synchro – engaging in a close battle with a number of nations right the way through to the final round of dives, before their highest-scoring Forward 4 ½ Somersaults Tuck (109C) saw them finish in the medals with a performance worthy of bronze - on 403.90 points - as the pair continue to build into regular competition together in 2023.

The springboard athletes had a similar series of results, as Jack Laugher, who took a couple of medals at last month’s event in Xi’an, took another silver medal with partner Anthony Harding in the Men’s 3m Synchro with two dives scoring 87 points.

Their form was solid throughout their required and optional dives, with the pair’s grip on second place staying through all six rounds of dives. Laugher also returned for the Men’s 3m Springboard event alongside his Leeds teammate Daniel Goodfellow, with the pair placing fifth and sixth respectively.

The Women’s 3m Springboard featured Dive London's Grace Reid as the sole British representative, with her dives showing consistency throughout ahead of the British Diving Championships later this month, as all six of her dives scored between 61.50 and 63.00 on her way to an eight-placed finish.

Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper put in a strong performance on short notice to finish fifth in the Women’s 3m Synchro event, amidst an exceptionally strong field. Rounding off with an Inward 2 ½ Somersaults Pike (405B) to give them their highest score of the night, as the respective 21 and 22-year-olds continue to make their mark on the international stage.

The competition was rounded off with the Mixed 3m & 10m Team event, with Ben Cutmore, Spendoloni-Sirieix, Harper and Laugher all taking to the boards in a stacked field. Cutmore’s Forward 4 ½ Somersaults Tuck (109C) gave the group their highest individual scoring dive of the event on the way to a finish of seventh.

The Diving World Cup returns for the Super Final in August, just after the conclusion of the World Championships. British Diving have secured a full complement of spots for that Super Final event, with two athletes qualified in each individual event and the pairs in the men's and women's 3m and 10m synchro contests also set to line up in Berlin.

Full results from the event can be found here.