PLYMOUTH’S Euan McCabe dived brilliantly to win his first-ever senior individual platform British title at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre on Sunday.
McCabe followed in the footsteps of fellow Plymothians Tom Daley and Matthew Dixon by winning the men’s 10m platform crown.
The Plymouth Diving star was battling it out with his former British junior synchro partner Robbie Lee for the gold medal.
With McCabe holding top spot going into the final round, Lee applied the pressure with a stunning back two-and-a-half somersaults, two-and-a-half twist pike (5255B) worth 86.40 points.
McCabe would have his chance to respond moments later with the very same dive, and with great composure rounded out the final with the best-scoring dive of his list to set a gold medal winning total of 439.70 points.
Lee took silver on 435.65 points, while Ben Cutmore (London Performance Centre) completed the British podium in bronze position.
Afterwards McCabe said: “After being out with an injured foot and stuck in a boot for three months, what I’d say what was important for me this weekend was just getting my dives back up on 10m – to enjoying being back out there competing and being back in the mix.
“The quote that sums it up for me is if it doesn’t happen the way you wanted, it will happen in a better way than you imagined’.”
There were also two medals at the Aquatics GB Diving Championships for Dixon, who now concentrates on the springboard event.
After frustratingly missing out on a medal at the recent European Championships by just two points, Dixon, who competes for Dive London, took silver in the men’s one-metre event and bronze in the three-metre.
In the one-metre, he finished behind Shefield’s Ross Haslam, while in the three-metre final, Dixon enjoyed a great battle with Jordan Houldon and Jack Laugher. Those three were well clear of the rest of a strong field.
Houldon took gold with 466.55 points, with his new Sheffield colleague Laugher scoring 464.05 points and Dixon finishing on 430.05 points.
Plymouth Diving had four competitors in the women’s one-metre event. Amelie Underwood came sixth, Maia Pearson eighth, Scarlett Colbourne 10th and Katie Martin 11th. Underwood also came eighth in the three-metre final.