Diving News

Last updated: 2026-09-11

City of Leeds divers impress at National Age Group Championships
2026-07-03

City of Leeds Diving Club athletes delivered a strong set of performances at the Swim England Diving National Age Group Championships 2026, held at Sandwell Aquatics Centre from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 June.

The four-day competition is one of the highlights of the domestic diving calendar, bringing together leading age-group divers from across England for a packed programme of 1m, 3m, platform and synchro events.

Leeds medal winners included Swara Suryavanshi, who won silver in the Female Group C Platform and Archie Isbell, who took silver in the Open Group A Platform.

Betsy Crossley won two bronze medals, finishing third in both the Female Group C 1m and Female Group C Platform events. There was also synchro success for Erin Simmonds and Jessica Mather, who won bronze in the Female Group A/B 3m Synchro.

The club also recorded a series of top-six finishes across the championships. Archie Isbell finished fourth in the Open Group A 3m and sixth in the Open Group A 1m, while Edgar Traviss-Turner placed fourth in both the Open Group B 1m and 3m, and fifth on platform.

Tallulah Taylor finished fifth in the Female Group C 1m, with Olivia Loney sixth in the Female Group C Platform. Alice James placed sixth in the Female Group D 3m and Toby Dorey finished sixth in the Open Group D 1m.

Phoebe Banks, Age Group Coach at City of Leeds Diving Club, said: “The National Age Group Championships are a big stage for young divers, and our athletes showed real courage and composure throughout the competition.

“There were strong performances right across the team, but what stood out most was the attitude of the squad and the way they supported each other throughout the week. These results reflect the quality, commitment and team spirit in the squad, as well as the hard work the divers, coaches and families put in every week.

City of Leeds finished sixth overall in the Dawdon Shield standings, awarded to the top-performing club across the championships.

The City of Leeds Diving Club National Age Group Championship squad:

Phoebe Baker
Oscar Barker
Daisy Costello
Betsy Crossley
Toby Dorey
Scarlett Han
Archie Isbell
Alice James
Katelyn Kirilova
Olivia Loney
Jenson Lorriman
Jessica Mather
Zain Shamshudin
Erin Simmonds
Swara Suryavanshi
Tallulah Taylor
Bea Traviss-Turner
Edgar Traviss-Turner
Hugo Traviss-Turner
Lydia Wade

Felix represents GB at European Junior Championships
2026-07-01

City of Leeds Diving Club’s Felix Wheeler represented Great Britain at the European Aquatics Junior Diving Championships in Budapest, reaching the final of the Boys B 1m springboard event.

The Championships took place from 22 to 28 June at the Duna Arena, described by European Aquatics as one of the finest aquatic venues in the world. The venue has hosted major international events including the World Aquatics Championships in 2017 and 2022 and the European Championships in 2021.

Across seven days of competition, Europe’s leading junior divers competed in individual, synchro and mixed team events, with Great Britain among the nations challenging across the programme.

Competing in the Boys B age group, Felix produced a composed preliminary performance on 1m, scoring 315.25 to finish 10th in a field of 20 and secure his place in the final. He went on to finish 12th in Europe, scoring 287.90.

Felix also competed in the Boys B 3m springboard, finishing 15th in the preliminary round with a score of 347.30.

City of Leeds Diving Club Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said: “Felix should be really proud of how he represented Great Britain and the club in Budapest. To reach a European junior final is a significant achievement and another important step in his development. He has shown real commitment and composure throughout the season, and this experience will only help him keep building.”

Felix’s performances continue an excellent year of progress, following double gold on 1m and 3m at the Aquatics GB Next Generation Diving Championships and silver for Great Britain at the 9 Nations Youth Diving Meet in Stockholm.

City of Leeds Head Coach inducted into Sport Hall of Fame
2026-06-30

City of Leeds Diving Club is delighted to congratulate Head Coach Marc Holdsworth on his induction into the Leeds Beckett University Sport Hall of Fame.

Marc has been recognised alongside some of the UK’s most accomplished athletes, coaches, officials and sport leaders, with the Leeds Beckett Hall of Fame celebrating people who have made an outstanding contribution to sport through competition, coaching, officiating, education and leadership.

His Hall of Fame entry highlights a coaching career at the highest level of diving, including supporting Daniel Goodfellow to Olympic bronze at Rio 2016, guiding athletes at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and continuing to develop divers here in Leeds.

Claire Wheeler, Chair of City of Leeds Diving Club, said: “This is a wonderful and thoroughly deserved recognition of Marc’s outstanding contribution to diving. For our club, it is a very proud moment.
“Marc’s recognition reflects the commitment, courage, community and respect that sit at the heart of City of Leeds Diving Club. Those values are visible every day in the way our divers train, support each other and keep striving to improve.

“It is also fantastic to see diving so strongly represented in the Hall of Fame. It is a powerful reminder of the strength of the Leeds diving community and the part our club has played in developing athletes and coaches who have gone on to make an impact at the very highest level.”

Diving is strongly represented in the Hall of Fame, with Marc recognised alongside Adrian Hinchliffe, Sarah Barrow, Andy Banks MBE and Yona Knight-Wisdom.

Read the Leeds Beckett University article:
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/news/2026/06/sporting-alumni-honoured-at-leeds-beckett-university-sport-hall-of-fame-2026/

View Marc’s Hall of Fame entry:
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/halloffame/marc-holdsworth/

Kate claims silver for Leeds at Aquatics GB Diving Championships
2026-06-12

City of Leeds Diving Club’s Kate Gardner claimed a brilliant silver medal at the Aquatics GB Diving Championships 2026 with a superb performance in the Women’s Platform Final.

Competing at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Kate qualified for the final after placing sixth in the preliminary round. With scores reset for the five-dive final, she then produced a composed and confident list to finish second, behind Maisie Bond of City of Sheffield Diving Club.

There was further Leeds representation in the women’s springboard events, with Amy Wright competing in both the Women’s 3m and Women’s 1m. Amy finished eighth in the Women’s 3m preliminary before placing ninth in the final, and also placed ninth in the Women’s 1m preliminary against another strong field.

Felix Wheeler also gained valuable senior competition experience in the Men’s 3m event. Felix finished 17th in the preliminary round as he continues his preparations for the European Aquatics Junior Diving Championships in Budapest later this month.

Felix, one of Leeds’ exciting young talents, has already represented Great Britain at junior level and continues to build experience against high-quality fields as part of his development.
Marc Holdsworth, Head Coach at City of Leeds Diving Club, said: “Kate’s performance was a brilliant result and everyone at the club is really proud of her. To qualify for the final and then deliver such a strong listt shows real composure, confidence and quality.

“Amy and Felix also gained really valuable experience in strong senior fields. Amy continues to show why she is one of the country’s most exciting young springboard divers, and Felix is using competitions like this in exactly the right way as he prepares for the Junior Europeans. These are important steps in their development, and it is great to see Leeds athletes competing with confidence on the national stage.”

Leeds divers impress at Syd Boothroyd Grand Prix
2026-05-20

City of Leeds Diving Club athletes produced a strong set of performances at the 2026 North East Regional Skills Qualifier, held at the John Charles Centre for Sport on Sunday 17 May.

The event formed part of The Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix, Leg 3, and gave divers from across the region an opportunity to achieve qualifying standards for the Swim England National Skills Finals.
Leeds divers achieved a number of top six finishes across the day, including several podium places and strong performances from some of the club’s youngest athletes.

In Group E Open, Ryan Drinkall won gold, while in Group E Female, Poppy Dixon was second overall as a guest diver. Merri Ahmed finished fifth and Nina Jezierska sixth in the same event. There were also strong results in Group D. Alice Fleming finished first overall as a guest diver in Group D Female, with Freya Cawood picking up bronze and Charlotte Wilkinson finishing fourth. In Group D Open, Benjamin Lavin finished first overall as a guest diver, Zak Langstaff picked up silver and James Hobson finished fourth overall as a guest diver.

In Group C Female, Amelia Farrar won silver, with Sophia Wright finishing fourth. In Group B Female, Poppy Earnshaw finished second to pick up the silver medal and Eva Dacre finished fifth.
The club also enjoyed success in the Group A events, with Savannah Standish winning both the Female 1m and Female 3m competitions, and Dylan Irwin winning both the Open 1m and Open 3m events.

A special part of the event was the presentation of the Syd Boothroyd Trophy, awarded to the highest-scoring Group E Female and Group E Open divers. The trophy is named in memory of Syd Boothroyd, a renowned coach and Olympic-level judge, who had a particular passion for coaching and encouraging the youngest divers. This year’s trophies were won by Annabel Hopwood from City of Sheffield Diving Club and Ryan Drinkall from City of Leeds Diving Club.

The event was another valuable opportunity for Leeds divers to compete at home, gain experience and continue their development on the pathway towards national competition.

Full list of City of Leeds Diving Club divers: Ada Bamford, Alice Fleming, Amelia Crossley, Amelia Farrar, Benjamin Lavin, Charlotte Wilkinson, Dylan Irwin, Esme Yau, Eva Dacre, Freya Cawood, Isabella Walker, James Hobson, Merri Ahmed, Nina Jezierska, Poppy Dixon, Poppy Earnshaw, Ryan Drinkall, Savannah Standish, Sophia Wright, Zak Langstaff.

Leeds divers impress at Steel City Skills
2026-04-27

City of Leeds Diving Club divers claimed two gold medals, two silvers and seven top-six finishes at the third annual Steel City Skills Novice Invitational in Sheffield.

Hosted at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, the competition brought together developing divers from clubs across the region, with awards presented to the top six athletes in each event.


Poppy Earnshaw led the way for Leeds, winning gold in the Female B competition. There was further gold medal success in the youngest categories, where Ryan Drinkall topped the podium in Open E. Amelia Crossley secured silver in Female E, while Zak Langstaff added another podium finish for Leeds with silver in Open D.


Leeds also collected three more top-six finishes in the highly competitive Female D event. Freya Cawood finished fourth, Sophie Patterson placed fifth and Paige Gaunt finished sixth in a field of 29 divers. Isabella Walker placed 14th and Esme Yau finished 19th. There was further success in Female C, where Amelia Farrar finished fourth in a field of 21 divers.

Leeds divers deliver strong results at Sandwell Showdown
2026-04-24

City of Leeds Diving Club athletes delivered an impressive set of results at the Sandwell Showdown, with success led by gold medal performances in the Skills events.

In the Open Group A Skills competitions, Dylan Irwin secured double gold on both 1m and 3m. He was joined on the top of the podium by Sophie Patterson, who won the Female Group D Skills event in a field of more than 40 divers. Paige Gaunt and Esme Yau also recorded top eight finishes, placing fifth and eighth respectively, while Charlotte Wilkinson, Freya Cawood and Isabella Walker gained valuable competition experience further down the field.

Further podium finishes followed with Ryan Drinkall taking silver in Open Group E Skills, while Savannah Standish secured silver in Female Group A Skills. In Female Group B Skills, Poppy Earnshaw won bronze, with Sophia Smith also finishing inside the top six in fifth place and Eva Dacre placing 11th.

In Female Group C Skills, Sophia Wright narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish, alongside Amelia Farrar in 13th. Zak Langstaff placed seventh in Open Group D Skills. In Female Group E Skills, Amelia Crossley secured a top five finish, supported by Merri Ahmed and Ada Bamford in ninth and 12th respectively.

In the Age Group events, Lydia Wade finished eighth in Female C Platform. Ella Coupland placed 10th in Female B 3m, while Beatrice Traviss-Turner recorded 12th on 3m and 14th on platform in the Female C category.

Leeds deliver standout performances at Next Gen Championships
2026-04-17

City of Leeds divers delivered a series of strong performances at the Aquatics GB Next Generation Diving Championships, held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh from 9 to 12 April

Across four days of intense competition, Leeds athletes demonstrated consistency and composure against some of the strongest junior divers in the country.

Felix Wheeler led the way with double gold on the 1m and 3m springboards, producing composed and consistent performances across both events. Flo Hall added a third gold medal for Leeds in the Group C Girls platform event, climbing from third in the preliminary round to take the title with a strong final performance.

In the Group A Girls platform event, Kate Gardner moved from fifth in the preliminary round to secure bronze in a tightly contested final. In the Group B Boys competitions, Seb Auld delivered two podium finishes, taking bronze on 3m and adding a second bronze on platform to underline his consistency across disciplines. In the Group C Boys events, Sam Baker also secured double bronze, finishing third on both 3m and platform, holding his position from the preliminary rounds in each event.

Leeds also secured a podium finish in the Girls 14–18 Platform Synchro, where Livia Thomas combined with Corin Burrows Mackley (Dive London Aquatics Club) to take silver. Elsewhere, Fred Crossley produced a strong performance in the Group A Boys platform event, progressing from seventh in the preliminary round to finish fifth in the final.

City of Leeds Diving Club Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said: “This is a really strong set of performances across the whole programme. To see athletes delivering at this level reflects the work that is going on every day in training. The consistency, composure and support shown throughout the competition has been excellent and it’s a great step forward for the group as we continue to develop.”

Wheeler claims GB silver in Stockholm
2026-03-24

City of Leeds Diving Club athlete Felix Wheeler claimed silver for Great Britain at the 2026 9 Nations Youth Diving Meet in Stockholm.

The 14-year-old, recently named as a finalist for Young Sportsperson of the Year at the Sport Leeds Awards, delivered a series of strong performances across the international competition, competing against leading junior divers from across Europe.

Felix secured silver on platform, finishing second to Ivan Alexandrov from the Netherlands and leading home a double podium finish for Great Britain, with Joshua Saxton taking bronze.

He also recorded fourth place on 1m, narrowly missing the podium and sixth on 3m in a competitive field featuring athletes from nine nations including Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Representing Aquatics GB as part of a 14-athlete squad, Felix’s performances underline his continued progression through the national pathway and his growing presence on the international stage.

The results build on a breakthrough 2025 season that has already seen him recognised locally as a Leeds Sports Awards finalist, reflecting both his competitive success and his contribution within the City of Leeds Diving Club environment.

Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said: “Felix is a brilliant example of what Leeds Diving stands for. To see him recognised as a Leeds Sports Awards finalist and then win silver for Great Britain in Stockholm is a fantastic achievement. He trains with real commitment, competes with composure and always supports those around him, and this is another big step forward in his development.”

Leeds hosts successful G Star 2026 weekend
2026-03-12

City of Leeds Diving Club welcomed divers from clubs across the UK to the John Charles Centre for Sport from 6 to 8 March for G Star 2026. Across three days of fiercely fought competition, athletes competed in a packed programme of events that showcased both emerging talent and experienced performers, continuing the competition’s long standing reputation as one of the North’s most established diving meets.

Leeds divers were particularly prominent in the C Female events, where Swara Suryavanshi won the platform title to lead a clean sweep for City of Leeds with Betsy Crossley taking silver and Tallulah Taylor bronze. Tallulah also claimed victory on the 3m board, with Olivia Loney securing bronze, while Orla Gainfort and Betsy added further medals on the 1m board with silver and bronze respectively. In the C Female 3m event, Flo Hall also recorded a guest podium finish, placing third overall. Additional C Female finalists included Olivia Loney in sixth place on 1m and Beatrice Traviss-Turner in sixth on the 3m board. In Group C Open, Samuel Baker (guest) won silver on platform, while Oscar Barker recorded fifth-place finishes across the 1m, 3m and platform finals and Theo Gilbert placed sixth on platform.

In Group B Open, Seb Auld (guest) took gold on platform and recorded the second highest score overall, while Edgar Travis Turner secured silver medals across 1m, 3m and platform. In the B Female events, Erin Simmonds placed sixth on the 1m board and fifth on platform, while Jessica Mather finished sixth in the platform final.

Strong results also followed in the D/E female events, where Alice James claimed gold on both the 1m and 3m boards, while Phoebe Baker won the D/E Female platform title and Charlotte Roberts-Smith added silver on platform and bronze on 1m. Phoebe Baker also finished fifth in the 1m final, while Freya Cawood secured sixth place on 1m and fifth on the 3m board, with Charlotte Roberts-Smith also finishing sixth in the 3m final. Toby Dorey took the platform title and also secured bronze medals on both the 1m and 3m boards. Hugo Traviss-Turner added fourth place in the 3m final and fifth on platform, while Zain Shamshudin placed sixth in the 3m final.

In the senior category, Thomas Casey secured bronze medals on both the 1m and 3m boards, while fellow Leeds diver Felix Wheeler finished third overall in the 3m final while competing as a guest. The A Open competitions also saw strong performances from Leeds athletes. Archie Isbell won bronze on 1m and gold on both 3m and platform. Kate Gardner finished second overall on both the 1m and platform events while competing as a guest, while Fred Crossley placed third overall on platform, also competing as a guest.

The event featured VIP medal presentations from Mark Sewards MP, Olympic medalists Anthony Harding and Matty Lee MBE, while the club marked International Women’s Day by celebrating the achievements of female athletes, coaches and volunteers throughout the competition. City of Sheffield Diving Club secured the overall G Star 2026 team trophy, while Sheffield diver Noah Bartle claimed two of the competition’s special awards, winning the Gavin Brown Award for the highest scoring back or reverse optional dive and the Tim Lee Trophy as winner of the A Open Platform Final.

Event Lead Becky Simmonds praised the efforts of everyone involved in delivering the event: “We are incredibly proud of how G Star 2026 came together. It was fantastic to welcome divers, coaches and families from across the UK to Leeds and to see such strong performances throughout the weekend.

“This event only happens because of the dedication of our volunteers, officials and supporters. Our biggest ever volunteer team of more than 30 people worked incredibly hard to make the competition run smoothly. We were also delighted to introduce live streaming for the first time at G Star, which worked really well and allowed many more family members, friends and supporters to follow the competition across the weekend.”

Preview: Swim England North East Regional Diving Championships
14th January 2026

The Swim England North East Regional Diving Championships, known as the Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix, returns this January, with two legs taking place across Yorkshire.

The first leg will be held in Harrogate on Sunday 18 January, followed by the second leg in Leeds on Sunday 25 January at the John Charles Centre for Sport.

Across the two weekends, over 100 divers will compete across 44 events. Competition will span five age groups and three competition levels, reflecting the breadth of talent and experience across the North East Region.

For many divers, the Syd Boothroyd Championships represent an important step on the competitive pathway. Athletes will be aiming to achieve the qualifying scores required for the National Age Group and Junior Elite National Championships later in the season, making these events particularly significant.

More than 25 divers from City of Leeds Diving Club will be in action across the two legs, competing across multiple age groups and boards. Becky Simmonds, Competition Organiser, said: “The Syd Boothroyd Championships are a major organisational effort and a real showcase of the depth of diving talent across the North East Region. Bringing so many athletes, volunteers and officials together across two venues takes careful planning, and it creates a high-quality competitive environment where divers can perform at their best and work towards qualifying scores.”

Spectators, parents and supporters can follow results throughout both weekends via Dive Recorder, with live scoring available during competition. With qualification on the line and a full programme of events across both weekends, the Syd Boothroyd Championships promises two weekends of high-quality competition, teamwork and community spirit, showcasing the very best of diving in the North East.

Leeds divers sparkle at Santa Skills 2025
25th November 2025

City of Leeds divers brought brilliant energy, festive spirit and some outstanding performances to Ponds Forge on Saturday 6 December for the 13th annual Sheffield Santa Skills Invitational skills competition. Hosted by City of Sheffield Diving Club, the meet welcomed more than 250 competitors from 18 clubs across the UK. With festive swimwear and Santa hats on poolside, Christmas music on loop and plenty of tinsel on the balcony, it was the perfect way for our young divers to round off the year.

In the Girls Group E, City of Leeds Diving Club delivered a dominant squad performance. Scarlett Han took a superb gold, topping a field of 31 divers. Teammate Katelyn Kirilova claimed a well-earned bronze, with Alice Fleming and Phoebe Baker close behind in 4th and 5th respectively. There was real depth across the Leeds team in Girls Group E, with Freya Cawood 9th, Amelia Crossley 10th, Charlotte Wilkinson 11th and Poppy Dixon 13th, with further strong performances from Isabella Walker, Esme Yau, Ada Bamford and Myah Armstrong.

One of the most-loved Santa Skills traditions is the festive bonus, where any jump or dive scoring straight 10s earns a £10 cash prize. Scarlett made the most of it, producing two outstanding poolside jumps in the closing stages of her competition and scoring perfect 10s on both. Those final dives lifted her to the top of the leaderboard, securing the Santa Skills title and earning her two bonus prizes in the process, a true Christmas cracker of a performance.

There was more success in Girls Group C, where City of Leeds claimed two of the three podium places in a very strong field. Sophia Wright delivered a confident and consistent performance to win silver, with Sophia Smith close behind taking bronze. With almost 50 divers in the event, securing two podium places was an excellent achievement, supported by strong performances across the team, with Poppy Earnshaw and Eva Dacre both gaining valuable experience in a high-quality, high-energy competition. In Girls Group D, Gabriella Roberts-Smith finished 10th in a large field of 50 divers, with teammates Amelia Farrar and Paige Gaunt also delivering determined performances.

In Boys Group B, Dylan Irwin claimed a deserved silver, pushing the eventual winner all the way in a close contest. In Boys Group E Open, Benjamin Lavin also secured silver in a competitive field, supported by strong performances from teammates Zain Shamshudin in 5th, Hugo Traviss-Turner in 6th, Jenson Lorriman in 7th and Ryan Drinkall in 11th. In Boys Group D Open, Zak Langstaff finished 7th in a field of 23 competitors, rounding off a strong day for the Leeds boys.

London Legacy Open 2025: Leeds divers claim five medals
25th November 2025

City of Leeds divers delivered a strong set of performances at the London Legacy Open 2025, returning from the London Aquatics Centre with five medals in a high-quality international field.

In the senior women’s events, Amy Wright and Kate Gardner led the way for Leeds. On springboard, Amy dived consistently to take bronze on both 1m and 3m. On platform, Kate produced a strong final to secure silver and round off an impressive set of senior results for the club.

In the Open B category, Felix Wheeler claimed silver on platform, splitting two German divers in a highly competitive final, and added bronze in the 3m springboard in one of the highest-scoring events of the competition. Felix’s platform silver was underpinned by two big-scoring 10-metre dives: an armstand back three somersaults for 64.35 points, and a closing forward three-and-a-half somersaults which added 63.45 points and took his total to 371.90 to secure second place. He rounded off his programme with seventh place on 1m springboard after another strong performance in a deep international field. Alongside him, teammate Hakim Whyte finished ninth in both the 3m springboard and platform events, and 19th on 1m.

In the C girls’ events, Emily Costello came agonisingly close to a medal on platform, producing one of the Leeds performances of the week. After qualifying eighth in the preliminaries, she stepped up again in the final to finish fourth, missing the bronze by less than a point. Teammate Flo Hall also delivered a strong platform prelim, finishing 14th in a highly competitive field. Earlier in the meet, Flo had finished 12th on 1m and Emily 21st in a field dominated by teams from the USA and Canada. Both divers then added further international experience on 3m, with Flo placing 17th and Emily 24th in the preliminaries, rounding off a demanding but productive programme in London.

In the A Open platform final, Fred Crossley finished sixth in a high-calibre contest featuring athletes from Germany, the USA and City of Sheffield. Earlier in the day he had qualified in fifth place from the platform preliminaries, showing real composure, and he also gained valuable experience on 3m, placing 16th overall. In the girls’ A category, Livia Thomas finished 15th in a forty-strong international line-up featuring athletes from across Europe and North America.

City of Leeds squad: Emily Costello, Fred Crossley, Kate Gardner, Flo Hall, Chloe Johnson, Livia Thomas, Felix Wheeler, Hakim Whyte and Amy Wright. Full event results and dive sheets are available on Dive Recorder.

Leeds divers recognised on Swim England pathway
21st November 2025

City of Leeds Diving Club is celebrating national pathway recognition for two junior athletes. Betsy Crossley and Daisy Costello have been selected for Swim England’s Youth Development programme. The Youth Development programme is the first step on Swim England’s talent pathway. Across around seven weekend camps over 20 months, athletes develop technical quality, physical conditioning and competition habits through pool, dryland and education sessions. Betsy and Daisy’s selection reflect their consistent progress and potential to compete at higher levels of the sport.

In recognition of his outstanding performance at this year’s Talent Games, nine-year old Toby has also received a one-off day-guest invitation to the Youth Development camp in Leeds next year. The invite gives him the chance to train alongside the Youth Development Squad across the weekend, taking part in all dryland, pool and education workshops.

Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said, “We are really proud of Betsy, Daisy and Toby. Selection for Youth Development is a brilliant step that recognises their hard work, positive attitude and the way they support each other in training and at competitions. These opportunities help young divers build great habits in and out of the pool and our whole coaching team will be behind them as they take the next steps. Well done to the divers, their families and our coaches for everything that goes into making moments like this possible.”

Betsy and Daisy’s selections build on strong results at the National Age Group Finals in July, where Betsy won bronze on 1m and silver on Platform, and Daisy took silver on 3m. The invitations follow an excellent club showing at the Swim England Talent Games 2025, hosted at John Charles Centre for Sport. The event brings together the country’s best divers aged 11 and under for two days of dryland and pool-based challenges and is a key selection point for Youth Development. Toby won a hat trick of gold medals in Group E Open Dryland, Pool and Overall, Benji Lavin took silver in Group E Open Dryland, Daisy won bronze in Girls D Dryland, and Phoebe Baker claimed bronze in Girls E Dryland and Overall. The Leeds girls capped the weekend by lifting the Overall Female Team Trophy.

Talent Games 2025
5th November 2025

The Swim England Diving Talent Games 2025 brought together the country’s best young divers at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds for two days of competition combining dryland and pool-based challenges. Designed for divers aged 11 and under, the event tests strength, flexibility and technical skill across a series of physical and acrobatic exercises as well as traditional diving events. It also serves as an important selection opportunity for the Swim England Youth Development Squad.

It was a proud weekend for the City of Leeds Diving Club, whose young divers demonstrated focus, discipline and teamwork throughout the event. Toby Dorey led the way with a superb hat-trick of gold medals in the Group E Open Dryland, Pool and Overall categories, underlining his growing consistency and composure in national competition. Benji Lavin also impressed, taking silver in the Group E Open Dryland.

There was more to celebrate across the team, with Daisy Costello taking bronze in the Girls D Dryland competition and Phoebe Baker claiming bronze in both the Girls E Dryland and Overall events. The weekend concluded with a fantastic result for the squad as the Leeds girls lifted the Overall Female Team Trophy, recognising their combined strength across all disciplines.

Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said:
“We’re incredibly proud of how our divers performed this weekend. The Talent Games is such an important milestone in their development, and it was brilliant to see their focus, teamwork and enthusiasm shine through. Every one of them gave their best and supported each other throughout. I also want to thank our coaching team for the time, care and dedication they put into helping each diver reach their potential.”

The Talent Games is one of the most demanding and rewarding competitions in the Swim England calendar, blending fun, friendship and fierce competition. For Leeds, it provided another opportunity to celebrate the hard work and potential of its youngest athletes, supported every step of the way by dedicated coaches, volunteers and families. The results continue a strong run of performances for Leeds divers this season, following impressive showings at the White Rose Invitational and Southampton Invitational earlier this autumn.

White Rose Invitational 2025
4th November 2025

It was another outstanding weekend for City of Leeds Diving Club, as the club’s divers competed with focus, determination and a growing sense of confidence across every age group.

In the youngest category, Group E Open, Zain Shamshudin produced a brilliant series of dives to claim gold, with teammate Jenson Lorimen taking a well-deserved bronze. Benji Lavin and Hugo Traviss-Turner both impressed too, finishing strongly inside the top six. The Group E Girls continued the success, where Phoebe Baker took gold after a composed display, with Kate Kirilova delivering another consistent performance to finish fifth.

There was more to celebrate in Group D Girls, as Gabby Roberts-Smith showed poise under pressure to secure bronze, closely followed by Sophie Patterson in fifth. In Group C Girls, Leeds dominated the podium, Sophia Smith performed with style and confidence to take gold, Poppy Earnshaw added bronze and Sophia Wright completed a strong showing in sixth. The momentum continued in Group B Girls, where Hazel Stockton dived superbly to win bronze, with Florence Smith finishing fifth against a tough national field.

Leeds’ strength was also on full display in the invitational platform events, which gave divers valuable experience on the 3m and 5m boards and provided useful practice ahead of next week’s Talent Games competition.

Toby Dorey (diving as a guest) and Zain Shamshudin shared gold in the Group E Open Platform, followed by Jenson Lorimen in fourth, Hugo Traviss-Turner in fifth and Ryan Hemmings in sixth.

The Group E Girls Platform brought another strong set of results for Leeds. Phoebe Baker secured silver, Alice James took bronze, with Poppy Dixon in fourth, Freya Wood in fifth and Kate Kirilova in sixth.

In the Group D Girls Platform, Olivia (guest) took silver, with Betsy Crossley (guest) finishing fourth, Charlotte Roberts-Smith fifth and Jess Kirilova (guest) sixth after strong, composed dives. James Hobson rounded off the event for Leeds, taking gold in the Group D Open Platform.

“I’m really proud of how our divers performed,” said Marc Holdsworth, City of Leeds Diving Club Head Coach. “A number of them are still new to competition, but they’re growing in confidence and you can see their hard work in training starting to shine through in competition.”

Southampton Invitational 2025
20th October 2025

There were some excellent performances by Leeds divers at the Southampton Invitational, hosted by Southampton Diving Academy. Samuel Baker led the way with a superb gold in the Group C Platform, and added a bronze in the Group C 3m after finishing 1st in the preliminary. Edgar Traviss-Turner also performed strongly on 3m, finishing fifth in the final. Archie Isbell continued Leeds’ success, diving for the first time in the senior Group A+ category, earning silver on both the 3m and Platform, along with a solid fourth in the 1m event. Orla Gainfort impressed in the Girls Group D & Under events, claiming bronze in the Platform and finishing fourth on the 3m. Competing in her first Age Group competition, Alice James gained valuable experience on the 1m, finishing sixth. In the Girls Group C events, Tallulah Taylor showed great composure to finish fourth on the 1m and sixth on the 3m, demonstrating consistency across both boards. In the Group B Girls 1m, Erin Simmonds finished fourth, while Seb Auld placed fifth in the Group B Platform event.

It was a great weekend in Southampton and a fantastic way to kick off the new season for our Age Group Divers.

Diving Awards 2024-2025
20th September 2025

The Norman Hunter Suite at Leeds United Football Club was the venue for our annual awards ceremony. Over 150 attendees witnessed our talented young divers celebrate their achievements alongside our Club Olympians. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work. Special mentions must go to Liv Thomas who won the Head Coach Award, and Felix Wheeler, who collected a number of awards to cap off a fabulous season during which he represented Aquatics GB at the Junior European Diving Championships in Athens.

Welcome to the 2025-2026 season!
2nd September 2025

City of Leeds Diving Club welcomes our divers back for the start of the new season following the summer break. Lots of fantastic events and opportunities lie ahead for our talented squads and we wish them all the best!

The club is also delighted to confirm the summer (re)signing of talented coach, James Milton! After leaving the club in 2024 to spend a year seeing the world, James has returned to coach our National Skills Squad. We're certain James's expertise, experience, and calm leadership will set our divers up for success.

Dive Leeds enjoys sunny week at the Rijeka Open!
9th July 2025

Divers from City of Leeds Age Group and Elite squads enjoyed a marvellous week competing against some of the world's best young divers at the Rijeka Open, Croatia. Divers from the USA, Sweden, Germany, the UK, and Croatia competed for gold in the fabulous surroundings at the Kantrida Complex. With multiple podium results across different age categories, it was a successful end of year competition and wonderful experience for our young divers.

Our Sponsors and Partners

City of Leeds Diving Club
All icons avaialble at Flat Icon
Follow Us 
Follow Us 

One of the most successful diving clubs in England