Young divers showcase skills

From up-and-comers to elite competitors, everyone made a splash at the South Island diving championships.

About 25 divers, all from Dunedin club Diving Otakou, took part in the competition at Moana Pool at the weekend.

Club referee and meet director Bruce Megget said the club had a strong focus on bringing through the "grassroots" divers in the past year, and it was pleasing to see them perform at the competition.

"We had a really good turnout of our younger divers learning the specific skill testing events, so we had some really good performances from our younger divers that are newish to the club," Mr Megget, who is also a Diving Otakou coach, said.

"It’s really good to have a big base of new people coming into the sport and enjoying what we have on offer."

The club’s top divers — including Theo Smith, who competed at the world junior championships last year — also strutted their stuff.

"He came back and competed in the open men’s 3m and did a really good lift.

"It was really good to see that top level of competition, as well as those newer ones."

Highlights included Flynn Macgill-Brown winning the New Zealand age A platform boy, and 1m. He also teamed up with Lyvia Nilsen to win the elite A/B mixed 3m synchro, and Archie Vorgers to win the New Zealand age A/B boys synchro.

Vorgers won the New Zealand age B platform boy and 1m boys, and teamed up with Elizabeth Dearden to win the New Zealand A/B mixed synchro.

Dearden won the the New Zealand age B 3m and 1m girls, and Nielson won the elite B girls 3m and 1m.

kayla.hodge@odt.co.nz