Olympic, world and European medallists head up GB Worlds squad

Olympic, world and European medallists have been selected to represent Great Britain at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha next month.

A squad of 13 divers have been chosen – including 12 from England – as the group aim to secure the final three remaining Olympic quota spots to guarantee representation for Team GB in every single event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Just a spot in the Men’s 10m Synchro and both the Men’s and Women’s 3m Springboard events are left to secure for Great Britain after a successful 2023 which saw three World Championship medals and seven at the European Games.

As well as that there’s the opportunity for more big performances on the international stage where all six athletes that took to the podium in Budapest return to the squad for Doha.

The three pairings of Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding (Men’s 3m Synchro), Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson (Women’s 10m Synchro) and Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen (Women’s 3m Synchro) are all selected as well as Ross Haslam who became European champion on the 3m Springboard at the European Games.

The event also marks Tom Daley’s return to international competition for the first time since winning two Olympic medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

He’ll return to the 10m board to compete alongside Noah Williams in the Men’s 10m Synchro after their recent success at the British National Diving Cup in Edinburgh whilst Matty Lee returns to the squad to compete in the Team Event as he steps up his comeback from injury.

‘Hugely valuable’

Speaking on the back of the year-closing competition in Edinburgh that was a key selection event for Doha, British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones is encouraged by the strength of the British squad as we begin an Olympic year.

He said: “It is fair to say that the standard of performance across the four days of competition in Edinburgh was consistently outstanding, and that is demonstrated by the strength of the 13-person team we have selected for the World Championships.”

“Our primary focus in Doha is qualifying the remaining Olympic quota spots, which we are confident these athletes are capable of doing – and every diver is preparing brilliantly at this stage of the season to make sure that is the case, with the usual high levels of support from our world-class coaches and support staff.

“Every competition opportunity between now and the Olympic Games is hugely valuable, and that is particularly true of a World Championships that will allow our athletes to test themselves against the strong fields who will ultimately be competing against them in Paris.

“We have progressed our performances from competition to competition since a memorable campaign in Tokyo – and the focus is on continuing those progressions through Doha and into the Olympic push towards Paris.”