Haslam heads up home nation qualifiers

12 Apr 2018

Day two diving prelims saw eight home nation athletes book themselves into Gold Coast 2018 finals and will contest the Men's 3m and Women's Platform medals later today. 

In the Men’s 3m Springboard competition, Sheffield-based Ross Haslam (England) was the highest placed home nation competitor finishing third with 404.10 points. His final dive, a Forward 2½ Somersaults 2 twists, scored his highest points total with 71.40. 

Jack Laugher – who won the 1m competition last night – was back in action and was ranked in first place after the first four dives but then struggled with the bright conditions in his Forward 4½ Somersaults and slipped to fifth place, where he finished overall with a score of 396.40.

Scotland’s James Heatly fresh from making Commonwealth Games diving history for his country sealed his place in the final, he placed seventh after his six preliminary dives and a score of 390.05.

Aidan Heslop competed, the first Welsh diver to compete at a Commonwealths for more than 20 years and he booked himself into the final with a score of 352.80 just ahead of Jack Haslam (England) qualified in 12th position with 329.70. His place in the final was secured by 0.7 points.

After a competition that saw everyone struggle with the glaring sun, Laugher said: “It’s really difficult conditions out there, you can see it from everyone’s diving.

“I wasn’t the only one to drop a dive but it’s actually good preparation to do that then come back and I think I finished quite well.

“The first half of my list went very well and I’m really happy with. It was just that one dive.

“I think the position of the sun, then a bad hurdle step and a bad tuck it all just went downhill from there.

“Last year I didn’t compete outdoors at all it’s difficult to get used to – there are some strong shadows being cast, the pool is very blue, the sky is very blue.

In the Women’s 10m Platform prelims Lois Toulson (England) qualified in fourth position with 324.60 points for the 10m women’s event taking place later today. Teammate Robyn Birch was close behind in fourth with 319.50 points and both will be bath to contest the medals.

Toulson’s best dive was her fourth, an Inward 3½ Somersaults, scoring 76.80, whereas Birch’s best dive came in the fifth round, a Back 2½ Somersaults 1½ Twists, which also scored 76.80.

Toulson said: “With it being outside the conditions changed dramatically throughout the competition. There was some wind which was definitely distracting, but I think we all did pretty well considering.”

Gemma McArthur made her Commonwealth Games debut for Team Scotland, she recorded a final point’s total of 273.15 and placed 11th, she will also compete under the Gold Coast floodlights in the final.