Reid reaches springboard final in dramatic style

1 Jul 2022

Grace Reid twice left it late to ensure her passage to the final of the Women's 3m Springboard on the sixth day of diving at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.

The Dive London Aquatics competitor had to show the battling spirit that has been a part of Britain's displays for much of this record-breaking meet, first to secure her passage out of the prelims and then to finish inside the crucial top 12 at the semi-final stage. 

Reid sat 28th after three dives of Friday morning's prelims, before delivering two solid final dives to move up to 18th - the final qualifying spot - and make sure she could dive again. 

Diving first in the semi-finals, it was a stronger start from the Mixed 3m Synchro bronze medallist, whose Back and Reverse 2 1/2 Somersaults Pike efforts kept her well inside the 12 top scorers.

A drop in round three, due to an over-rotation on entry in her Inward 2 1/2 Somersaults Pike (405B) that scored 37.50, left Grace with work to do if she was to be back on Saturday for the individual springboard showpiece.

But just as she showed in the 1m event and that memorable synchro contest with James Heatly, landing dives under pressure is something Reid can do. A score of 61.50 points for her Forward 2 1/2 Somersaults 1 Twist Pike (5152B) was a strong recovery after round three, although sitting 15th with only one round to go meant a finals spot looked unlikely.

Grace did all she could with her final dive, a Forward 3 1/2 Somersaults Pike (107B) scoring 6.5s and 7s from the judges to earn 62 points, her best haul of the competition. Other divers going after her could not land their final dive in the same way, meaning Reid jumped up the required three slots to finish 12th on 272.00, 1.7 clear of USA's Kristen Hayden in 13th. 

While the fight was again pleasing for Grace, she is hoping for a more solid foundation to base her final performance on - once she has tested her good fortune one more time away from the water.

"It's so frustrating. I'm feeling all right on everything, I'm just struggling to get a bit of an entry and that's just making that bit of a difference. After round three, there's definitely something about me having to fight back. It was tough today, but I'm off to buy a lottery ticket now!" she said.

Yasmin Harper 1m Springboard Budapest [Getty]
Yasmin Harper

"Now it's about me relaxing. I've made it through to the final, it wasn't the easiest ride but it gives me confidence to know I can fight, which is a great asset. Now I've got to do a bit more and get out the gate a bit stronger." 

In the morning's prelims, Reid was joined by compatriot Yasmin Harper (City of Sheffield) on the start list. The World Championship debutant began brightly, a well-executed Forward 2 1/2 Somersaults 1 Twist Pike (5152B) worth 57 points. 

While there were no major drops thereafter, Harper - who is coached by Tom Owens - could not rediscover the consistency that took her to 1m and 3m Springboard titles at May's British Diving Championships, with scores in the high 40s not enough against a world-class international field to make the semi-final.

Yasmin ultimately placed 25th at the end of the prelims, concluding her maiden Worlds and a competition that will have provided valuable experience ahead of the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in the weeks to come. 

For all results from the World Aquatics Championships, click here

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