City youngsters win national medals

FOUR Plymouth youngsters scooped medals at the British Elite Junior Diving Championships in Sheffield.

Shanice Lobb, Kayleigh Sinclair, Matthew Dixon and Emma Barrow showed that they could be the next crop of city divers to follow in the footsteps of international stars Tom Daley, Tonia Couch, Brooke Graddon and Sarah Barrow.

Lobb and Sinclair both picked up two bronze medals, while Dixon collected a silver and Emma Barrow a bronze.

Dixon took second in the one-metre event in his age group and came fourth in the platform and three-metre events.

Barrow, the younger sister of Sarah, came third in the girls' A platform event.

Lobb and Sinclair were competing in the same events – the girls' E2 one-metre, three-metre and platform classes. They also paired up for the three-metre synchronised category, where they took bronze.

In the individual platform Sinclair took bronze, with Lobb finishing less than eight points behind in fifth.

But in the three-metre event it was Lobb who took third, finishing just two points and one place above Sinclair.

In the one-metre class, Lobb came fifth, with Sinclair seventh.

There were also encouraging performances at the championships from Harry Glover, Elliott Hatherley and Jenny Bunsell. Glover came fourth in the final of the boys' group A platform, with Hatherley taking sixth.

Meanwhile, Bunsell came eighth in the girls' group C three-metre final and ninth in the platform.

Plymouth and Great Britain coach Andy Banks was delighted with the success of some of the club's younger divers.

"These results are very pleasing," said Banks. "These are the new kids coming through."

Asked whether these youngsters could go on to international level like Daley, Couch, Barrow and Graddon, Banks said: "Well, they are certainly on track getting medals at this level."