Eden Cheng qualified for the Paris Olympics after a Gold Medal in the European Diving Championships (Rzeszów, POL, 22-28 Jun 2023).
The winner of each individual event would qualify for the games. However, that would not be the last of it, as the 12 spots won at the World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka, JPN, 14-30 Jul 2023), would take priority. If someone won a place, but came in the top twelve in Japan, then an extra place would be available in the 2024 event in Doha (QAT).
The four individual Olympic events are the Men’s and Women’s 3m Springboard and 10m Platform.
In the Men’s 3m Springboard, Matthew Dixon and Ross Haslam went up for GB. Dixon has bronze medals in this event, but only in the 10m synchro, and 10m seems to be his best height. As for Haslam, he had a European Games silver medal in the 3m synchro from 2015 (this was part of the European Games). In qualifying, the top twelve would go through, and Haslam led the way with 430.70, with Dixon in ninth with 398.65. This gave both a healthy gap to Alberto Arévalo of Spain in 13th with 376.30.
In the final, however, neither would get a medal. Haslam had a worse performance, coming 4th with 403.35, with Dixon in 6th with 401.05. This put them behind Germany’s Moritz Wesemann on 465.40, who won the gold medal and the quota spot.
The other event on the men’s side was the 10m platform, with Ben Cutmore and Robbie Lee for GB. Cutmore won bronze in the European Aquatics Championships last year, and gold in the men’s competition, while Lee won world junior bronze last year. In qualifying, again the top twelve would go through: Lee was second with 424.35, Cutmore sixth with 373.35; well clear of Greece’s Athanasios Tsirikos in 13th (316.05). In the final, Lee would win silver on 413.20, with Cutmore up to fourth on 410.75. Again the Germans would take the quota spot, with Timo Barthel taking 435.40.
Moving to the women’s side and the 3m springboard. Desharne Bent-Ashmeil and Grace Reid had high hopes. Bent-Ashmeil came sixth in the world juniors last year, and took home a synchro silver, while Reid won European Aquatics gold in this event in 2018. Reid led qualifying with 300.60, while Bent-Ashmeil was fourth with 288.45. This put them clear of Ukraine’s Anna Psymenska in 13th on 240.95. In the final however, Reid’s 298.55 was enough only for fifth, with Bent-Ashmeil sixth on 293.10; the winner was Italy’s Chiara Pellacani on 321.45.
Finally in the 10m Platform, Robyn Birch and Eden Cheng lined up for GB. Birch has a silver medal in this event in synchro, and also won Commonwealth Games bronze for England in synchro last year. Cheng also has some synchro medals, including gold in the European Aquatics Championships in 2018. Cheng would lead qualifying on 299.35, with Birch on 277.55 in fourth. This put them well clear of Ana Carvajal of Spain in 13th (230.85). In a nailbiting final that went down to the last, Cheng won with 331.60, with Birch in 5th on 289.25. This put Cheng just clear of Germany’s Christina Wassen in second on 330.95.
The next chance for GB’s divers would come in Fukuoka…
GB Games 