Brick crowned national champion

With World Championship finalist Peter Waterfield withdrawing from the competition, his Southampton Diving Academy teammate took his moment to impress the judges and scored consistently throughout the final to take the victory.

I knew it would go one of two ways - I could have an amazing competition or I would feel the pressure.

Brick left the high tariff Front 4 ½ Somersaults tucked until the last round and scored a total of 418.70 to secure his gold medal.

“That was the first time that I have completed my Back 3 ½ in competition,” Brick said. “I had a much better final than my prelim where I actually slipped on the board on one of my dives.

“I changed the order of my dives for the final because at the Commonwealths I had a similar problem with my first dive and my coach and I decided that it was better to start with one of my harder dives.

"I did the twister well and that gave me confidence for the rest of the rounds.

“It is the first time that I am national champion but I went into the final thinking it could go one of two ways. I could either have an amazing competition or that I would feel the pressure.

“I did miss having Tom [Daley] and Pete [Waterfield] because they push me on and I raise my game when they compete.”

James Denny (City of Leeds) won the silver with 386.20 points and 14-year old Ross Haslam (City of Sheffield) won bronze after scoring 358.25 points.

On withdrawing from the competition Waterfield said: “I had a back injury at the beginning of the year and even though that has healed now and I am in full training this competition just came around too quickly for me to be in a place to compete the way I would want to.”

The women’s 3m Springboard saw Olympian Rebecca Gallantree take gold with a consistent performance in the penultimate final of the competition.

I did feel a little nervous before the final but I just wanted to enjoy the competition so I put those feelings behind me.

She took the lead after her second dive, the Reverse 2 ½ Somersaults piked, and extended the margin with her Inward 2 ½ Somersaults tucked.

The City of Leeds diver won gold with 318.90 points and commented: “I have felt quite relaxed all day and although I did feel a little nervous before the final but I just wanted to enjoy the competition so I put those feelings behind me.

“My Inward went well and I was really pleased with my Front as that has been one of the dives I’ve struggled with in competition before but both times it went well.

"It is great that the younger athletes are getting closer and we’re all performing consistently. We train together and I think that has made a great competition today.”

Silver went to Hannah Starling (City of Leeds) with a score of 294.30 and Grace Reid (Edinburgh Diving) won bronze with 269.20 points.