Jordan Houlden claimed the first global gold of his career in sensational style as his Men's 3m Springboard triumph spearheaded a successful return for Aquatics GB over the first two legs of the World Aquatics Diving World Cup.
On top of Houlden's springboard success at the second event in Windsor, Canada over the weekend, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix made it back-to-back World Cup podium placings in the Women's 10m Platform contest as she continues to rubber-stamp her place as one of the world's best in that event, while Lois Toulson and Maisie Bond teamed up to dive to Women's 10m Synchro bronze.
The undoubted highlight, though, was a moment of history for Aquatics GB Performance Centre Sheffield man Jordan, who was in golden contention from his very first dive of the final, a Forward 2 1/2 Somersaults 2 Twists (5154B) worth 79.90 points - and he did not let up from there.
He sat third, then first, and was second in the standings heading into his closing dive, before the Olympic finalist nailed his Forward 4 1/2 Somersaults Tuck (109C) for 89.30 points, ending on a huge 470.85 points, more than 30 clear of the USA's Carson Tyler in silver and Zheng Jiuyan of China for bronze.
The result leaves him second overall heading into May's Super Final in China, while compatriot and four-time Olympic medallist Jack Laugher will also be there thanks to placing fifth after the Mexico and Canada legs of the World Cup.
From the platform, Spendolini-Sirieix has begun 2025 with the same class that saw her to a historic World Championship medal in 2024. After diving to bronze in the Women's 10m Platform in the opening leg in Guadalajara at the start of the month, Andrea was again composed throughout her Windsor final, making the pivotal move with a brilliantly-executed Forward 3 1/2 Somersaults Pike (107B) in round three to move into third.
She maintained that position thanks in part to a fourth-round Reverse 2 1/2 Somersaults Tuck (305C) that scored solely eights and 8.5s from the judges, eventually finishing on 348.20 for bronze - and qualifying in third for the upcoming Super Final. Directly behind her, 17-year-old Maisie Bond showed the value of her rising stock in the sport to place fourth in Windsor as she contests her first World Cup series.
While that was close to a podium for Bond, it would come the following day, as she and Sheffield teammate Toulson combined for a dramatic Women's 10m Synchro bronze, the pair ultimately finishing less than a single point ahead of Americans Lanie Gutch and Anna Lemkin in fourth.
GB's other World Cup medal so far in this season's contest came at the opening leg in Mexico, as Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth medal-winning duo Laugher and Anthony Harding did the business again to win bronze in a thrilling contest. They leapfrogged the German pair of Lou Noel Guy Massenberg and Moritz Wesemann with their final dive, a clutch Forward 4 1/2 Somersaults Tuck (109C), in that showdown. While they were sixth in Canada this time around, they finished less than four points off the podium, showing the incredibly competitive nature of the 2025 World Cup.
The Super Final will take place in Beijing from 2nd-4th May. Check out the full results and leaderboard here.