Riccione

or

That was the week that was!

Standing (left to right):
Stephen Pattinson, John Whitby, Dave Smith, Brian Jolly, Anne Murray, Rene Puddifoot, Rob Costa, Ray Oakley, Taz Hollingum, Olga Hamer, Jim McNally, Jason Blair, Kay Burford, Mark Alderman, Richard Heraty, Stuart Raeside, Orla Gilmore, Jan Isherwood, Rael Hayman, Mikey Bayes, Katie Bell, Dave Wood, Terry Boyce, Sarah Johnson, Dave Lewis.
Kneeling (left to right):
Chris Jenkins, Sam Youles, Barbara Heathfield, Ben Toner, Sarah Bayless, Sonya Edwards.
Sitting (left to right):
Hazel Perrett, Susan Brierley, Greg Cliffe, Jenni Cluskey, Naomi McBane, Tina Ayles, Tanya Ross, Robert Townsend.

10th June 2004

Well, we all got back in one piece, some of us only just though! After a day or so it was time to reflect on the week we had together at the FINA World Masters Championships.

Firstly, the look of the team: without a doubt we were the best equipped team out there. The team tracksuits, provided by sponsor SERCO Leisure enabled us to visually dominate the proceedings and make a major impact on the event even before we started diving. The effect that the kit had, not only on helping make the team look the part, but in helping to bind everyone together was a very important element in the success of the week for the Brits. This element was commented on by many people along with the remarks about ‘the Brits are back’, and ‘great to see you again’, our absence in Millau last year being very much noticed and remarked upon.

And what a week we had.

Not only did we all get along with each other very well and supported each other to a very good level, but we had probably one of the most successful weeks of any British team in any sport!

The highlights were obviously Mikey’s Triple Gold medals, Rob's Double Gold and Silver and Orla’s full set of Gold Silver and Bronze. Three World Champions.

But outside of this, everyone else contributed to a highly successful week. I think some divers who hadn’t been to a meet of this level were surprised by the standard of diving. It’s not comparable to the GB events, (unless you are in Mikey, Rob or Orla’s Age groups of course) but the overall standard of competitors is very high indeed. It shouldn’t be thought though that the age groups were small, most competitions having in excess of ten and up to 25 competitors, A mix of quality and quantity.

Bearing in mind the exceptionally high level, to get a top six place in nearly every age group in which we had a diver is an outstanding achievement. But what really impressed me most was the way in which, to achieve this level of performance, divers worked incredibly hard during training and competition to set standards of performance which were way above their norm.

I know that Ben and Taz both got awards for this, but there were many divers there who dived out of their skins in some events, performances that we have just not seen from them in the past. It really was an eye opener to what some divers are actually capable of when pushed to it.

The coaches, well what can we say: they were at the pool all day every day, and we could not have done as well as we did without them. They left the hotel early each morning and crawled back late in the afternoon, all of them put in 110%, and their hard work really showed in the overall team performance. Each diver owes them a vote of thanks.

So overall?

A great team, a great bunch of people and a great set of results, roll on the next one!