Brilliant Bond wins two medals at World Junior Diving Championships

A brilliant week for Maisie Bond saw the City of Sheffield diver come away with two medals at the World Junior Diving Championships in Rio De Janeiro.

She partnered with Dive London’s Hannah Newbrook for bronze in the Girls A/B 10m Synchronised Platform before claiming an individual silver in the Girls A 10m Platform to win both her and Great Britain’s two medals at the event.

Opening the competition with synchro bronze, Bond and Newbrook impressed in a competitive final in the Brazilian seaside city.

The duos superb list was rounded out with an expertly executed Inward 3 ½ Somersault Tuck that scored 66.40 from the judges – the highest scoring dive of the entire event.

The effort ensured them of their podium place, with a total of 275.16, and put the British pair within just 1.14 points of winners Abigail Gonzalez Roel and Rut Elisa Paez Manjarrez of Mexico.

Bond followed up that success later in the week with an individual silver, where the same dive proved crucial.

This time she earnt a score of 76.80 to help her on her way to a silver medal, matching the result she got in the younger age group two years ago. Newbrook also impressed in the final with sixth in the event, scoring 380.50 overall.

Major competition experience

The pairs success, partnered with a wealth of major competition experience for the nine-strong British team puts the group in a strong position ahead of the European Junior Diving Championships in June.

That included the newly crowned Swim England Diving Talent Athlete of the Year – Robbie Wood – who was narrowly outside the podium places on his world debut.

He finished fifth in the B Boys 3m Springboard, recording a total of 438.60, less than three points off the podium. Wood was also seventh in the 10m platform event, whilst he also teamed with Jorden Fisher-Eames for sixth in the A/B Boys 10m Synchronised Platform final.

Both Skye Fisher-Eames and Juliette John made the finals of the B Girls 10m Platform – with Dive London’s Skye making two finals on her junior world debut.

The ‘SportsAid’s ‘Ones-to-Watch’ nominee added to her European Junior title with seventh in the world in the platform event. She also finished 11^th in the 3m Springboard to round out a standout year on the boards. Juliette John also performed well to make the platform final, finishing in 12^th spot.

Todd Geggus put in a strong performance to come away with seventh in the A Boys 3m Springboard.

A strong list from the Southend diver saw him finish just outside the 500-point mark, with a score of 494.05. That total was around 14 points off the silver medal position, giving him plenty to build on heading into 2025.

Scottish diver Noah Penman also recorded two top ten finishes with sixth in the A Boys 10m Platform and eighth in the 1m springboard. He also teamed with Geggus, Skye Fisher-Eames and Newbrook for 12^th in the Mixed Team Event.