Sheffield will again be the platform for the British Diving Championships in 2023, as Britain's top divers build towards this summer's World Aquatics Championships and their chance to secure Olympic quota spots.
Just as for last year's British Championships - which preceded a summer of historic international success for our diving athletes - the 2023 event will be hosted at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, from 25th-28th May 2023.
The competition will be the key selection event for the teams heading to July's World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and the European Games in Poland. On top of that, it offers the leading crop of British divers and the next generation of stars the opportunity to test themselves against the country's best in search for national titles across 1m and 3m springboard and 10m platform contests, in individual and synchronised events, whether they are targeting Worlds, Paris 2024, junior internationals or longer-term progress towards LA 2028.
Entries are now open for the event. Click here to enter and here to visit the event page. Full ticket options for spectators can be found here.
This year, the British Diving Championships - and subsequent British Championships, British National Diving Cups and British Elite Junior Diving Championships - will also feature a greater international element, with format changes taken on board to develop even further the high-class competition of this elite event.
Final sizes will be increased to admit 12 divers (up from eight previously), mirroring the standard international final size. A minimum of six British divers will qualify for each final, with the remaining places filled by either British or international athletes, depending on the results of the prelims.
Speaking on confirmation of the event venue and the importance of the British Diving Championships at the start of a crucial few months for our athletes, British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones said: "We know our athletes are already looking forward to getting onto the boards and platforms at Ponds Forge, as we look to move things on from what was an outstanding 2022 for our international teams at all levels.
"The importance of putting in strong performances in the context of our World Championship selections is great, particularly as this year's Worlds provides the opportunity to qualify quota spots for next year's Olympic Games, as well as the chance to go for world medals against top international rivals.
"With the aim of increasing our athletes' exposure to that high level of international competition, we are really pleased to be adapting our finals format at the British Championships, with the increased number of 12 in each final providing a greater chance for our British athletes to test themselves at that level, while also boosting the quality and depth of the fields. This is sure to have a benefit to our senior and junior teams, and we are sure that the diving fans in attendance will enjoy even more entertainment over the four days in Sheffield."
Lisa Firth, Director of Culture and Environment for Sheffield City Council, added: “It’s fantastic to see that senior divers will be back competing in the British Diving Championships in Sheffield. Ponds Forge International Sports Centre is a world-class facility and experienced at hosting local, national and international sports events all year round. It continues to be an outstanding venue for competitions.
“We look forward to welcoming divers back to Sheffield for this prestigious event – and our spectators are in for a treat.”
Among the highlights for our divers in 2022 was a hat-trick of World Championship medals for Jack Laugher – including silver alongside Anthony Harding in the Men’s 3m Synchro – plus European and Commonwealth titles for Jack and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix. The tally of six medals for the team at Worlds was the best ever for a British Diving cohort. The 2023 international season began with a seven-medal haul by the British Diving team at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup in China last weekend.
Our diving selection policies are available on the Performance section of the British Swimming website.