‘Spectacular weekend of diving’ ahead as fifty youngsters compete at Talent Games

There is a ‘spectacular weekend of diving’ in store as 50 young athletes will represent their clubs at this year’s Swim England Diving Talent Games.

The Talent Games is a national competition which will see places on the Swim England Diving talent pathway up for grabs.

A range of dryland and pool-based activities will take place throughout the two days – Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November.

The John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds will play host to the Talent Games again in 2023, as it has done successfully for a number of years.

Those who impress at the event will be selected for Swim England’s Team Z squad, which is the first step on the talent pathway.

Following selection, divers will then take part in talent camps throughout the year. These will focus on developing divers technically and physically and building on the fundamental skills demonstrated at the Games.

The athletes hail from nine different clubs in total – Leeds, Sheffield, Cambridge, Star, Southend, Southampton, Dive London, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Stars of the future

Last time out, 15 athletes earned a place on the Team Z squad, and Swim England’s diving programme lead, Connie Ford, is hoping to see more ‘stars of the future’ this time around.

She said: “The Talent Games have been a great success over the years, helping us to identify the stars of the future within our sport, and we expect this weekend to be no different.

“Fifteen divers who competed in last year’s event were selected for our Team Z squad after their impressive performances throughout the weekend.

“So we’re looking forward to seeing this year’s cohort showing off their skills, but also just enjoying the event and the atmosphere in Leeds.

“The John Charles Centre for Sport has been a fantastic host of the Talent Games and we can’t wait for another spectacular weekend of diving.”

To find out more about the Swim England Diving talent pathway, click here.