Parkside Pools in Cambridge recently held Cambridge Dive Teams annual Novice event. This competition was a chance for the club’s novice divers to practice their ‘dive lists’ and perform their skills in a competitive atmosphere. The format of the competition reflected that of national age groups and skills events, where divers are split into categories spanning two years of age.
First up in the event was the Group E divers – the youngest in the competition at just eight and nine years old. For most of the athletes it was only their second or third competition, so it was really positive to see many of the club’s divers taking part. The fight for bronze and second was tight, with Digby Bord scoring an impressive 129.10 to take third and Melodie Meeds narrowly ahead with a total of 129.20 to secure second. Meanwhile the gold medal went to Emilia Wright with a comfortable lead and score of 134 points.
Next up was the Group D event where two divers were entered. Never the less, it was a close competition and silver was won by Annie Powell coming in at a total of 134.25, and the gold went to Seth Wilkinson with a score of 137.80. Following this event was the Group C divers, again with a smaller selection of divers putting their skills to the test. Harry Rayner took home the silver medal with a score of 140.35 while Jack Halls took home the gold with a score of 151.
The final event of the evening was the group B event where divers have to compete three dives from the 1 meter board and three dives from the 3 meter board. The top three divers from this exciting event were William Tibbatts with a score of 168.40 (bronze), Yuzu Baxendale with 180.05 (silver) and Eva Tsang coming in at 197.25 to secure the gold.
