Pathway divers head to Sandwell for Aquatics GB Junior Elite Championships

Young divers from Swim England Diving’s Team Y, Team Z and Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme’s are all looking to impress at the Aquatics GB Junior Elite Diving Championships this week.

More than 30 athletes who are currently part of those squads as well as a number who have previously been a part of the England talent pathway are amongst those that will battle it out for national titles from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 April.

Sandwell Aquatics Centre – home of the 2022 Commonwealth Games – will host it’s first British diving competition since Team England’s athletes took to the boards with Great Britain’s next generation heading to Birmingham for four days of exciting competition.

The event will feature both individual and synchronised events across the 3m Springboard and Platform categories, as well as individual competitions off the 1m Springboard.

The event has three age-group categories: Group C – 13 years and under; Group B – 14-15 years old; Group A – 16-18 years old.

You can watch the competition live on Aquatics GB’s YouTube channel and all the results from the competition are available on DiveRecorder.

Talent athletes looking to impress

Jorden Fisher-Eames, Maisie Bond, Oscar Kane, Juliette John and Oliver Heath will all come into the competition with medal hopes.

The young quintet were rewarded with a place on Aquatics GB’s Podium Potential programme for 2023/24 after coming through the England talent programme and will be no doubt be looking to make an impact ahead of the European Junior and World Junior Diving Championships later this year.

Elsewhere there are 18 Team Y athletes, six Team Z athletes and a further 12 DiSE divers taking part across the four days as they look to continue their impressive form in Birmingham.

Amongst the Team Y contingent is Swim England Diving Talent of the Year Skye Fisher-Eames and junior European medallists Oscar Willcox and Todd Geggus.

Skye is looking to retain both the Girls B Platform and 3m crowns whilst Willcox and Geggus are aiming to add to their bronze medals from 2023.

Team Z’s Joshua Saxton is also targeting the podium after his clean sweep of last year’s Swim England Diving National Age Group Championships. He’s in the Group C events like competition debutant Ella Swete, who’s a new member to the Team Z squad following the Talent Games event in November.

All eight divers who were named as part of Swim England Diving’s squad for the upcoming Junior America’s Cup in California are also in action ahead of taking on some of the top talent from across the globe next month.

Guest athlete from the Netherlands, USA and Dubai have also entered the event giving the young talent a chance to compete against international opposition.

You can find a list of Swim England Talent athletes competing at the event below.