Sheffield Diving: Club wins national trophy for third year in a row

Sheffield Diving was on home turf at Ponds Forge for this year’s National Age Group Championships.
Sheffield divers with the trophySheffield divers with the trophy
Sheffield divers with the trophy

Twenty-four divers – some for the first time in this prestigious event and some others for the last time before they transition to elite level – came away with a total of 18 medals, including 5 gold, along with 6 silver and 7 bronze.The first medals came on Day 1 of the individual events. In the B Boys Platform, the podium was dominated by Sheffield, with bronze going to Nathaniel Greig, silver to Ethan Chapman and gold to Declan Rogan. This was a hugely impressive performance by Rogan, who only just over a year ago might well have thought his diving career was over after a shocking accident in training saw his right leg shattered in several places. Further success was secured by Katie Garner in the B Girls 3m springboard, who won gold with a new Personal Best score of 257.20. The day ended with two silver medals; one for Etta Dodsworth in the D Girls 1m springboard event, and one for Hannah Blake in the C Girls Platform, with a new PB of 229.95.The second day saw six more medals added to the pot for Sheffield. Katie Garner added to her personal tally with a bronze in the B Girls 1m event, as did Nathaniel Greig with a silver in the B Boys 3m and Hannah Blake with silver in the C Girls 1m. Archie Biggin won bronze in the D Boys platform event, and Chloe Strutt scored a new PB of 152.95 to take bronze in the D Girls 3m. The story of the day was the gold won by Millie-Rose Hartley in the A Girls platform competition.Hartley had almost pulled out due to a severely bruised and swollen hand, but steely determination (and a fair bit of ice) saw her power through to the top of the podium with a new PB of 240.95.Day 3 also had six medals being won by the team. Hannah Blake won her third medal, a bronze in the C Girls 3m, with another new PB of 193.60.Also achieving a new PB was Arthur Turner-Rowe, who won bronze in the B Boys 1m with a score of 248.70. Turner-Rowe had been vying with Nathaniel Greig for the lead throughout the competition, but it was won by Greig with a hugely impressive final dive – an inwards two-and-a-half somersaults in tuck, scoring 52.70 – to give him a gold to add to the bronze and silver he had already won. Katie Garner also added a third medal to her collection, silver this time, in the B Girls Platform. In the D Girls platform event, bronze was won by Etta Dodsworth and a new PB of 161.50 saw Archie Biggin through to the gold medal in the D Boys 1m.It was yet another massively successful event for Sheffield Diving, wining more medals than any other diving club at the meet, and all the squad should be congratulated for their efforts, including Eleanor Turner, Poppy Bond, Charis Bell, Sophie Lewis, Alice Prescott, Lucy Maltby, Hannah Gowan, Rebecca Vega, Sophie Mae Hancox, Jessica Ireland, Lily Godbole, Ned Curtis and Gabrielle Vickers. The team was crowned top club of the Championships for the third year running, their 18 medals giving them a total of 226 points, 16 ahead of their nearest rivals, Southampton Diving Academy.

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