PLYMOUTH divers Aidan Heslop and Euan McCabe both claimed titles at the British Elite Junior Diving Championships at the Life Centre.

Commonwealth Games athlete Heslop dominated the boys’ A platform competition, winning by nearly 80 points.

He produced five impressive dives in the final. His lowest effort scored 73.80 points, while three of his dives collected more than 80 points. The pick of his efforts was his opening three-and-a-half reverse somersault with tuck (307C) which scored 86.70 points.

Heslop has been impressing on the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series this summer, claiming two top five finishes in Italy in September.

McCabe, meanwhile, triumphed in the boys’ B platform event. He beat his synchro partner Robbie Lee of Southampton to the title. The pair had won silver in the synchro competition.

This week’s championships have been acting a trial for the World Junior Championship in the Ukraine in December, but McCabe had already been pre-selected for that event after picking up two medals at this summer’s European Junior Championship.

Fellow Plymouth diver Amelie Underwood could not have come closer to joining McCabe and Heslop on the top of the podium at the Life Centre this week.

She missed out on gold in the girls’ C three-metre event by just 0.45 of a point. She scored 296.00 points to take silver with Dive London’s Corin Burrows-Mackley scoring 296.45 point for gold. Plymouth’s Scarlett Colbourne was fourth with 263.15.

But both Underwood and Colbourne did make the podium in the one-metre event. Underwood claimed silver and Colbourne the bronze.

Team-mate Ollie Heath enjoyed a good championship. He picked up three medals. He took silver in the boys’ C three-metre event and bronzes in the one-metre and platform finals. Theo Stevens just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the two springboard finals.

Plymouth’s Summer Radcliffe was also a finalist at the championships, which were held behind closed doors due to Covid-19. She came sixth in the girls’ B one-metre.

British Diving talent and development manager Julian Bellan said: “The quality of competition here in Plymouth has been amazing, especially considering the journey these kids and clubs have endured.

“World Junior Diving Championship qualification has been secured by a number of divers, and it was particularly pleasing to see a number of new British Elite Junior records set.”

Julian Egan, contract manager for Everyone Active said: “We’re delighted to have hosted the 2021 British Elite Junior Diving Championships here at Plymouth Life Centre. We take pride in that our centre provides some of the most excellent swimming and diving facilities in the country and always welcome its use for these types of events.

“We congratulate all those involved – it’s fantastic to see so many young individuals excelling in this sport and we hope it encourages others to take up diving. Our doors are always open to new starters or pros.”