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Twelve members of Southampton Diving Academy (SDA) made a significant impact at the British and English National championships at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield from 5th to 7th February 2009. In the absence of Southampton's Olympians Blake Aldridge and Peter Waterfield, both out through injury, and Olympian Stacie Powell unfortunately withdrawing through injury, it was up to the younger members of the club to step up to the mark. Not disappointing, they took an amazing 13 British and 15 English medals including 6 British golds and 7 English golds, an impressive achievement. SDA scooped both junior synchronized events. Georgie Wingrove and Ellie Fleming, both 13, took gold in the British and English Junior springboard event and silver in the Senior events. To take the junior title Georgie and Ellie dived with a consistency that showed maturity beyond their years to beat the team from Leeds who had just taken silver at the Youth Olympics in Australia. In the senior event they were only 5 points from beating Hayley Sage and her new partner, from Sheffield who was part of the British synchronized diving team at the Beijing Olympics. Coach Charly Tomkys said "It was a truly outstanding performance from these two talented youngsters and ones to watch out for in the future". Bethany Watts (13) and Rosie Medlock (12) took gold in the British and English junior platform synchronized diving event and bronze in the senior competition. They executed relatively easy dives but performed them well. Coach Lindsey Fraser was really pleased with the girls when Bethany also won the junior platform in the British and English event with Rosie following in silver medal position. Jack Clewlow (19) and Max Brick (17) took the British and English men's synchronized diving platform title with each diver scoring an impressive 9 for execution for some of their dives. Olympian Stacie Powell (23) took silver in the women's 10m synchronized British event and gold in the women's 10 metre synchronized English event utilizing dives with a higher degree of difficulty than she and her partner Tonia Couch had used in the Olympic games. Chris Farrow (17) dived consistently well to take silver on the individual 3 metre springboard and bronze on the 1 metre springboard in both the British and English junior events despite hitting the springboard during training just before the 3 metre springboard event. Chris scored an impressive 7.5 from four judges for his back two and a half somersaults on the 3 metre springboard. Gary Hunt (25) took bronze in the men's platform event with Max Brick taking bronze in the junior platform event in both the British and English events.
Director of coaching Lindsey Fraser was delighted in the way these young divers stepped up so well to the challenge. Some of these divers were competing at the senior event for the first time. Full Results:
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| For further details call Lindsey Fraser on 023 8072 0922 / 07810 300355 or email lindsey.fraser@southampton.gov.uk. |