It was an impressive performance for Team Albatross at the Armada Cup grand-prix event. Albatross brought home a total of nine individual medals and twelve top six placings; an excellent result for the Reading club. The team also won medals in synchronised diving and the team event.
Ten-year-old Lauren Saunders led the team success by sweeping the board in the girls D events winning gold on 1m, 3m and platform. Diving alongside teammate Meah Thorngate both girls used their newly learned front two and a half somersault dive to good effect on 3m. Lauren finished first (156.65/87.30) and Meah sixth (127.25/69.20). Meah performed extremely well across the competition finishing 7th on 1m (112.85) and platform (129.05) just missing out on the finals. Lauren faced stiff competition in the 1m and platform finals where excellent form and consistency won her two more gold medals (1m 154.35/109.50 and 5m 145.70/101.40)
James West won a convincing gold in boys B 1m (257.35/135.25) whilst Quinn Shaw finished 4th (231.60/106.50) and Ethan Jones placed 8th 213.05. It was a similar result on 3m with James winning bronze (280.80/134.95) and Quinn 6th (278.65/101.15). Fortunes were reversed on platform. Quinn Shaw shone in the preliminary round finishing 5th (231.35) ahead of Ethan Jones 7th (226.55) with James West 10th (202.40). Quinn held his nerve in a tense final to finish a well-deserved 5th.
Charlotte West and Finlay Cook helped the team success winning a clutch of medals in the A+ events. Facing stiff competition Charlotte dived extremely well to win bronze medals on 3m (187.00/126.90) and platform (196.40/133.50). Charlotte was 6th on 1m (273.90/95.65). Finlay Cook also won two hotly contested bronze medals on 1m (271.85/131.10) and 3m (281.90/137.20). Finlay placed 7th on platform (209.35).
Also competing in A+ were Elisabeth Cullen and Olly Breach. Olly was an agonising 7th in both springboard events whilst Elisabeth dived well to finish 8th on 3m and platform and 13th on 1m.
Milly Orgill, Alfie Cook (group B), Molly Lefever and Hernan Mosqueda-Jolly (group C) were all gaining experience at this level of competition and looking to build qualification points for age group finals later in the year. In the B events, Milly Orgill gained points on platform (170.80) and 3m (191.70) whilst Molly Lefever gained points on 1m (160.00). All divers gained valuable experience performing several newly learned optional dives in competition. They will be building on this experience and aiming to win further points in their next competitions.
Albatross also entered teams in synchronised diving and the team event. Finlay Cook and Olly Breach took bronze in the boys 3m 14-18 synchronised diving (227.13). In the team event Finlay Cook, James West and Lauren Saunders placed 3rd (202.10) while Quinn Shaw, Elisabeth Cullen and Meah Thorngate were only 5 points behind in 4th (197.70)
For detailed results in all events at the Armada Cup please click here.
