Taylor, Waterfield Head English Divers Selected for Commonwealth Games

LONDON, England, December 22. TEAM England selected 17 divers for the squad that will compete at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. The selections were announced on Wednesday and the total number of competitors is more than double the eight athletes who represented the nation at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Leading the team are Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield, who collected silver medals at the Athens Olympics in the synchronized platform competition. Olympians Tony Ally and Mark Shipman have also been named to the team. Taylor did not have to compete at the Commonwealth Trials because he is recovering from a shoulder injury. Waterfield is the reigning Commonwealth champ on the platform and Ally won a pair of silver medals in springboard action at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Plymouth’s Tonia Couch is one of the divers who was impressive enough to be included on the squad traveling to Melbourne. She’ll compete in both the 10-meter platform and synchronized events. She will team up with another exciting young prospect, Stacie Powell of Southampton, in the synchro and the duo will be rivals in the individual platform.

Sheffield’s Ben Swain and leading women’s diver Tandi Indergaard (nee Gerrard) will also be names to watch in the springboard disciplines. Rebecca Gallantree, a 21 year-old from Leeds, was the surprise winner of the 10-meter Trials, defeating Indergaard.

The Team England diving squad includes:

Ben Swain
Peter Waterfield
Tony Ally
Leon Taylor
Gareth Jones
Mark Shipman
Callum Johnstone
Gary Hunt
Tandi Indergaard
Hayley Sage
Sarah Barrow
Stacie Powell
Tonia Couch
Claire Blencowe
Katie Hamilton
Brooke Graddon
Rebecca Gallantree

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