Future stars selected as part of British Diving World Class Programme

A group of 25 English athletes have been selected to be a part of British Diving’s World Class Programme (WCP) for the 2023 season.

The full squad of 27 athletes contains an exciting mix of Olympic and Commonwealth medallists as well as a number of stars of the future.

The squad will be looking to build on an incredible 2022 for British Diving where the team achieved their best-ever medal tally at the 2022 World Diving Championships to partner with an outstanding set of medals at both the European Championships and Team England’s divers topping the medal table at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Among the future starts included are Masie Bond, Jorden Fisher-Eames and Robbie Lee who all recently became European Junior Champions to round out their 2022 with Fisher-Eames one of the six athletes included in the WCP for the first time.

Leon Baker, who won bronze with a stunning final dive at the European Junior Championships, is also included alongside Evie Smith who won bronze in the Girls A/B Synchronised 3m Springboard at the event as well as representing Team England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Podium tier for next season contains the likes of Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding who will be looking to continue their impressive partnership that won 3m Synchro medals at each of the three majors over the summer.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix’s stunning year is rewarded with a place in the Podium tier alongside Olympic 10m Synchro champion Matty Lee and European champion Noah Williams.

Athletes included in the WCP list will be focussing on the crucial World Championships in Fukuoka this summer before attentions firmly turn in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Both Podium and Podium Potential programme tiers receive opportunities and targeted financial assistance from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Programme’s Athlete Performance Award (APA).

Athletes invited on to such World Class Programmes are also eligible to benefit from competition and training camp opportunities throughout the season of their selection, as well as access to world-class sports science and sports medicine provision, in addition to comprehensive support from British Diving performance staff and national Institute of Sport programmes across the UK.

‘A crucial year’

British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones is looking forward to seeing this group continue their success in 2023.

He said: “We are very excited to have invited every single one of these athletes on to the 2023 World Class Programme and to be able to offer our support, in conjunction with UK Sport, as they all look to continue their individual and collective progress on the world’s biggest stages, following on from some truly outstanding results during the packed summer of 2022, including British Diving’s best-ever tally of six medals at a World Championships.

“The 2023 season is a crucial one in the lead-up to Paris 2024. That goes for competition opportunities – with the ultimate focus the World Championships in Fukuoka in July 2023 – but also for the work done at their respective training centres, in the diving pool and their work out of the water too, with their coaches and the superb performance and support staff we have across the discipline.

“I am relishing the chance to work closely with athletes and staff alike over the next 12 months and to see what the year ahead has in store.

“Limited places on programme also remain available as the season progresses, with performances, feasibility and availability being regularly assessed.”