GREAT Britain junior Holly Waxman was in storming form at Plymouth Diving Club's Armada Cup event.

The City of Bradford Esprit Diving Club member, using the experience gained at the Bingbingamba International Diving competition in Rome last July, took gold medals at one-metre, three-metre and platform, finishing a massive seven points ahead in the one-metre event.

Eight divers represented Esprit in the four-day competition, setting a host of personal bests, and 12-year-old Waxman paired with nine-year-old Elizabeth Powley for the first time in the one-metre 13 years and under synchro event.

They narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth – as did Gina Webb and Domi Hinchliffe in the eight to 14 years three-metre synchro, who were only 0.06 points behind bronze.

Evie Webb made it through to the finals of both the three-metre and platform events, competing against Olympian Tonia Couch in the latter event.

Couch's dive list was only 2.6 ahead of Webb's in tariff and Webb did well, using two new dives – an armstand front double somersault from ten metres and a back two-and-a-half somersault from seven-and-a-half metres.

Hinchliffe also performed really well, making the finals in the one-metre and three-metre competitions and finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Andy Banks, head coach of Plymouth City Sports diving scheme, was the pioneer behind the professionalisation of diving schemes in England.

He worked alongside Bradford Council to create the first professionally-run competitive scheme in 1985 in Shipley Pool.

Since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with Ruby Bower achieving the highest-ever representation by a Bradford diver in the history of the scheme when she finished ninth in the Junior World Championships last summer.

City of Bradford Esprit Diving Club will soon be conducting a talent search in Bradford primary schools.

Schools that wish to be visited should contact the diving development office on 01274-438787.

Opportunities to learn to dive are available at Shipley Pool (01274-437162) or Eccleshill Pool (01274-612329).