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Over 60 children from Schools across Southampton and the surrounding area took to the boards at the Quays Swimming and Diving Complex on Saturday to battle it out in the sixth annual Southampton Schools' Diving Competition.
The event was opened by Olympic silver medallist, Peter Waterfield, performing one of the dives he will use at the Olympics in Beijing in August. Following the lunch break an Elite team of divers treated spectators to a thrilling routine and comedy show, showing many of the skills that have taken them to the top of their sport nationally. The team included divers who represent Great Britain on the international circuit.
At the end of the morning medals were presented by Max Brick (15), who won his first diving event at the inaugural Southampton Schools' Competition in 2003 and is now a member of the national training group aspiring to compete at the Olympics in 2012. The afternoon competitors were congratulated by Emily Alderman (16) who has previously represented Great Britain at the Junior World Championships.
For many of the entrants this was their first competition experience and some have only been diving for a few weeks. Opening with two rounds of jumps from the bath side and concluding with one skill from the 1m springboard, the most complex dive executed was a back dive tucked. There were events for children from school years 1 – 8.
Gold medalists were Emily Martin (7), Max Generowicz (6), Abbie Baker (9), Ashley Cresswell (9), Mollie James (11), Nicholas Smith (11), Louise Brown (11) and Dale Simmonds (13).
Director of Coaching, Lindsey Fraser, was very impressed with the performances. "We saw some very promising diving, especially from some of the newcomers today," she said. "We are always on the look out for new talent and will certainly be looking towards giving some of these youngsters a chance to develop their sport to the national standard through the Diving Academy."
Full results:
Girls Year 1/2
Emily Martin, Hazelwood Infant, gold; Leah Cranmer, Wordsworth Infant, silver; Charlotte McGuiness, Oakwood Infant, bronze; Lucy Hutchings, Bitterne Manor Primary, 4th; Jodie Yates, Oakwood Infant, 5th; Xulia Generowicz, Hollybrook Infant (guest), 6th; Lucy Talbot, Braishfield Primary, 6th; Tusca Alavi, Stroud, 7th; Flora Smith, Foundry Lane Primary, 8th
Girls Year 3/4
Abbie Baker, St Swithuns Junior, gold; Brittany Coleman-Smith, Uplands, silver; Georgia Freeman, Heathfield Junior, bronze; Jordan Wilkins, Foxhills Junior, 4th; Jessica Bonner, Fordingbridge Junior, 5th; Rachel Gatfield, St Marks Primary, 6th
Girls Year 5/6
Mollie James, Hythe Primary, gold; Ashleigh Wilkins, Foxhills Junior, silver; Caitlan Davison, bronze; Maisie Unsworth, Botley Primary, 4th; Tamara Chenery, Hamble Primary, 5th; Mollie Baker, Mansel Park Primary, 6th; Shannon Devine, Hook-with-Warsash, 7th; Sophie Horan, Hiltingbury Junior
Girls Year 7/8
Louise Brown, Hounsdown, gold; Elly Crosthwaite, South Willts Grammar, silver
Boys Year 1/2
Max Generowicz, Hollybrook Infant, gold; Brandon Foster, St James, silver; Harrison Williams, Whiteley Primary, bronze; Billy Pook, Woolston Infant, 4th; Benjamin Rosie, Shirley Warren Primary, 5th; Harry Bonner, Fordingbridge Infant, 6th; William Wrightson, Nursling Primary, 7th; Peter Dowse, Tanners Brook Infant, 8th; Lewis Tipping, Townhill Infant, 9th; Euan Newcombe, Fair Oak Infant, 10th; Jack Restall, Penhale Infant, 11th; Oliver Dunne, Wellow, 12th; Andrew Best, Woodhill, 13th
Boys Year 3/4
Ashley Cresswell, Hollybrook Junior, gold; Stuart Simmonds, Townhill Junior, silver; Lewis Rule, Bitterne CE Junior, bronze; Wilf Nicholson, Stroud, 4th; Ben Judd, Bitterne CE Junior, 5th; Thomas Graham, Otterbourne Primary, 6th; Lewyn Ingram, Moorlands Primary, 7th; George Ashworth, Orchard Junior, 8th
Boys Year 5/6
Nicholas Smith, Freegrounds Junior, gold; Harry Talbot, Braishfield Primary, silver; James Wood, Hordle Walhampton, bronze; Daniel Forbes-Willis, St John's College, 4th; William Wiseman, The King's, 5th; Jonathan Yeates, Hook-with-Warsash, 6th; Shray Pathania, Springhill Primary, 7th; Craig Talbot, St Marys Primary, Twyford, 8th; John Colclough, Orchard, Dibden Purlieu, 9th
Boys Year 7/8
Dale Simmonds, Bitterne Park Secondary, gold; Edward Quinton, Hamble Community College, silver; Nathan Burton (guest), Redbridge Community, bronze; Ryan Duffy, Thornden, 4th; James Boyd, Wildern, 5th; Andrew Talbot, The Westgate, 6th; Joseph McGrory, St George's College, 7th; Max Kennedy, The Westgate, 8th
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