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Toulson takes two at British Diving Champs

Toulson takes two at British Diving Champs

June 5, 2017

Lois Toulson took two national synchro titles at the British Diving Championships at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh.

The City of Leeds diver’s successes came with partners Tonia Couch and Matty Lee in the Women’s 10m Synchro and Mixed 10m Synchro respectively.

City of Sheffield’s Ross Haslam also claimed a synchro double, winning the Men’s 3m and Mixed 3m crowns.

Toulson and Lee put in promising performance

Toulson’s first title came with the assistance of her Leeds teammate Lee as they completed the National Cup and British Champs double for 2017.

While they were the only pair competing in the event, they showed great composure and scored 315.78.

“It was a pretty good performance for us,” said Lee. “It was a bit weird because it was just us two in the competition however last Nationals we did really well. It’s just about getting more experience of diving together.”

“I really like diving with Matty,” Toulson added. “We bring out the best in each other’s diving and we always end up putting in good performance.”

Toulson and Couch dominate Women’s 10m Synchro

Couch and Toulson showed their prowess as they added the British title to their National Cup gold from earlier in the season.

The all-English pair, who finished fifth at last summer’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games, are improving as the season progresses, building on their bronze medal from the final leg of the FINA Diving World Series in Canada.

The pair looked strong after the required dives, scoring 92.40. Their opening optional dive catapulted them into a resounding lead. They executed Front 3 ½ Somersaults piked beautifully, scoring 74.70. Their final result was 307.26.

We dived pretty well today,” said Plymouth diver Couch. “We weren’t really focusing on where we finished but how we performed today. I think we did a good job so we’re really pleased.

“I was a little bit nervous as I feel like I’ve not been diving well but it was nice to be next to Lois and I feel like I’m better when I’m next to her.”

Haslam brothers deliver top class performance

City of Sheffield duo Ross and Jack Haslam showcased their strengths in the Men’s 3m Synchro event.

The pair scored 393.30 to top the podium. Their best dive came in the final round of the competition. They scored 77.70 for their 1 ½ Somersaults 3 ½ Twists piked to take gold.

Jack commented: “That was one of our best performances in terms of score. To score over 70 points on all of our optional dives is great so we’re really happy with that. It was pretty amazing competing with my brother.”

Ross added: “I’m not going to lie. I was really nervous going into that. It was a really intense competition I think because we are synchro partners and brothers and rivals it’s a tough one and you know there’s very little room for error.”

Ross’s second gold came alongside Sheffield teammate Millie Fowler as they won a two-team shootout for the Mixed 3m Synchro crown.

The competition came down to the wire as Plymouth’s Aidan Heslop and Kayleigh Sinclair set a total of 269.82.

But the Sheffield duo narrowly held on to lift the title, winning with 270.75.

First time partners secure Women’s 3m Synchro title

Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper secured gold in the Women’s 3m Synchro event. It was their first event competing together as a pair.

Mew Jensen of Dive London and Harper of Sheffield put in a steady performance in their required dives, finishing with 93 points. However, in the final round their performance came to life.

The pair secured 62.10 for their Front 2 ½ Somersaults 1 Twist piked, taking gold with 244.02.

Jensen said: “It was really surprising. We’re a new pair and it’s a bit overwhelming. I’ve got a rest day tomorrow ahead of the final of the 3m final on Sunday.”

Harper added: “It’s been a good new experience with us because training at different centres we’ve only done a few sessions together and it’s gone well.

Image credit: British Swimming Twitter

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