PLYMOUTH’S World high diving champion Aidan Heslop opened his 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving Series with a sixth place finish at the opening leg in Athens at the weekend.

Heslop, who has finished as runner-up in the series for the last two years, lost out on a podium placing in Greece after a below par final round dive.

His big rival Constantin Popovici took victory ahead of Spain’s Carlos Gimeno.

Afterwards Heslop said: “Tough start to the season, but I’ll be back for revenge.”

The series now moves to America, with Boston hosting stop two on June 8.

Meanwhile in the pool, Plymouth divers Matthew Dixon, Euan McCabe and Amelie Underwood produced encouraging displays at the British Championships, which were incorporating the Olympic trials.

Dixon, who trains in London, finished fifth in a high-quality men’s three-metre platform final with an impressive 451.05 points.

The battle for the medals went right down the wire, with multi-Olympic medallist Jack Laugher winning, Jordan Houlden taking second, Dan Goodfellow third and Ross Haslam fourth.

Three-times British platform champion Dixon, who just missed out on going to the last Olympic Games after it was delayed by a year, only switched to the springboard event last season and he was pleased with his display at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham.

He said: “So happy with my performance and after only a year on the springboard I have proven to be part of the top GB boys.

“I came fifth but with a massive PB of 451 points and I can’t wait for the future on the three-metre.”

McCabe just missed out on making the podium in the men’s platform final. He came fourth behind Noah Williams, Kyle Kothari and Robbie Lee with 381.85 points.

Junior Underwood came seventh in the women’s three-metre final, which was won by Yasmin Harper ahead of Grace Reid.

Underwood had qualified fifth for the final, but she could not quite match her preliminary score in the final.

Former Plymouth diver Robyn Birch came fourth in the women’s platform final.