British Diving is pleased to confirm the return of senior domestic competition in 2022, with the British National Diving Cup heading to Plymouth next month.
Kick-starting a packed year for the sport, the Plymouth Life Centre will host the three-day event from 11th-13th February, as Britain's best divers compete for national titles in an elite competition environment - the first National Diving Cup since 2019.
The 2022 calendar features World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships among an eye-catching run of elite international meets later in the year. The National Diving Cup is the key selection event for May’s World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, as well as playing a key preparatory role ahead of those other world-leading festivals of sport, with athletes set to compete across 1m and 3m springboard and 10m platform contests, in individual and synchronised events.
For the Olympians of the future, the Plymouth-based competition will also provide a priceless chance for them to go up against their senior counterparts, four months on from the high-quality Elite Junior Diving Championships In Memory of David Jenkins, which took place in October 2021.
Due to the ongoing COVID situation nationwide, the event will be staged behind closed doors, which sadly means no spectators will be able to attend. Learnings from a range of 2021 events across our disciplines will be placed firmly at the centre of plans to deliver a COVID-safe competition.
Entries for next month's event are now open here.
Speaking about the announcement of the first British National Diving Cup in three years, British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones said: "We are so pleased to be able to host another national senior diving event after the disruption of the past two years.
"Across the Olympic Games, the European Championships - both senior and junior competitions - and the FINA Diving World Cup, 2021 provided so many incredible moments for our divers, and we know the important role this event will have in setting up our athletes for a busy 2022, as well as providing them the chance to compete for national medals and helping us with World Championship team selections
"The National Diving Cup is a valuable competition insight for our younger divers, too, and it has provided the platform for future success for some of our most established international medallists.
"We are grateful to the Plymouth Life Centre and Plymouth City Council for hosting what we expect to be another fantastic event. The Life Centre staged October's successful Elite Junior Diving Championships, and knowledge gained from that COVID-safe event will be important this time around too."
Councillor Mark Deacon, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport said: “It’s fantastic to see that senior divers will be back competing in the National Diving Cup here in Plymouth. The Life Centre is a world-class facility and it continues to be an outstanding venue for competitions. We hugely look forward to welcoming divers back to Britain’s Ocean City and wish everyone luck in the upcoming competition.”
Details on how diving fans can watch the British National Diving Cup 2022 will be communicated in due course.
For more information on the event, visit the official event page here.