Young divers enjoy four-day training camp at Sandwell Aquatics Centre

More than 30 of the nation’s top young divers have taken part in a four-day training camp at the aquatics venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The four-day camp at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre hosted 34 divers and 11 coaches from nine clubs across England and Scotland between Wednesday 25 and Saturday 28 October.

Divers from Team J and Team Y all attended the camp, which also hosted an introduction for the latest cohort of divers from Swim England’s Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme, partnered with Loughborough College.

They were able to take advantage of the new facility both in the pool and out thanks to the drydive gym, which contains a foam pit, two trampolines, five dryboards and a diving platform.

Amongst the staff leading the group were Great Britain’s choreography coach, Anna Volynets, performance psychologist Emma Wood, physiotherapist Gill Edmondson and Swim England nutritionist Josh Dyson.

They each led a workshop to support the young divers as they focus on improving their technical skills and expanding their knowledge as they prepare to take themselves to the next level.

‘A great week’

Connie Ford, Swim England diving programme lead, said the camp was a great success.

She said: “This joint training camp was a great week for some of England and Scotland’s top talent and the more experienced Team J athletes on the Podium Potential Programme.

“It was a great opportunity for all the divers to learn from some of the top coaches and staff across the nation and it was particularly special for the younger athletes who got the chance to interact with those that have competed on an international stage.

“It was incredible to see all the talent we have coming through in the UK and we’re excited to see these athletes develop over the coming years.

“Thank you to all the coaches for giving up their time to support the camp and help guide the athletes as they continue their journey.”

You can find out more about the England Talent Diving pathway here.