Last updated: 2026-03-04
The City of Leeds Diving Club will host their annual G Star competition at the John Charles Centre for Sport from Friday 6 March to Sunday 8 March 2026.
The City of Leeds Diving Club will host their annual G Star competition at the John Charles Centre for Sport from Friday 6 March to Sunday 8 March 2026, welcoming leading diving clubs from across the UK for one of the north’s flagship competitive events.
The three-day competition will feature athletes from as young as eight through to senior level, competing across 1m, 3m and platform disciplines.
G Star has grown into a key fixture in the domestic diving calendar, offering a high quality competitive environment for developing athletes while also attracting divers targeting national and international progression. Alongside individual medals and team honours, clubs will compete for the overall G Star team trophy.
The competition carries a strong legacy. Originally known as the Northern Cross, the event was renamed G Star in 2008 in memory of Gavin Brown, a talented Leeds diver known for his exceptional back and reverse dives and his passion for the sport. Each year, the Gavin Brown Memorial Trophy is awarded for the highest scoring back or reverse dive, ensuring his impact on the club continues to inspire the next generation.
Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said: “G Star provides a genuine performance test. For some athletes it is about building confidence and competition experience. For others it is about chasing qualification standards. We are proud to host an event that supports athlete development across the full pathway.”
Becky Simmonds, Events Lead for City of Leeds Diving Club, added: “G Star has a special place in our calendar. It combines strong national competition with a deep sense of club history. We are looking forward to welcoming clubs from across the country to Leeds for what promises to be an exciting weekend of diving.”
For the first time, the event will be live streamed across the full weekend, enabling families and supporters who are unable to attend in person to follow the competition in real time. Live results and dive sheets will be available via DiveRecorder throughout.
Spectators are welcome to attend John Charles Centre for Sport across all three days of competition.
For streaming access and to read our exclusive Yona Knight-Wisdom feature in the G Star 2026 digital programme, visit the City of Leeds Diving Club website at www.diveleeds.org
City of Leeds Diving Club travelled to Plymouth for Armada Cup 2026 with a 27-strong squad, competing across four days of springboard and platform events at the Life Centre.
City of Leeds Diving Club travelled to Plymouth for Armada Cup 2026 with a 27-strong squad, competing across four days of springboard and platform events at the Life Centre. Armada Cup is a key competition in the national calendar, providing valuable competitive experience for Age Group and Next Generation divers and consistently attracting clubs from across the UK and overseas.
With the team based at Plymouth College for the week, divers settled into a focused routine of training, recovery and competition. In the build up to the trip, two pre-camps centred on posture, form and training intensity, alongside a workshop on what strong team support looks like in a competition environment. That approach carried onto poolside, where Leeds divers backed each other with a positive, supportive and vocal atmosphere throughout the week. For several of the Leeds divers, this was one of their first major age group competitions away from a regional setting, an important step in learning how to manage longer schedules and deliver under pressure in a busy national meet.
Across the week, City of Leeds recorded a strong collection of podium performances and top six finishes. Sam Baker secured gold in Junior Elite C Boys 1m, alongside silver medals in both 3m and platform. Flo Hall produced a consistent series of performances in Junior Elite C Girls, securing silver on platform and bronze on 1m. In Junior Elite B, Emily Costello claimed bronze in the platform final, while Seb Auld also reached the podium with bronze in the Junior Elite B Boys platform final.
In the Age Group events, Archie Isbell secured silver in Age Group A Boys platform, and also placed fifth on 3m. Edgar Traviss Turner took silver in Age Group B Boys platform and placed fourth on 3m. Jess Mather earned silver in Age Group B Girls 1m as well as finishing sixth in Age Group B Girls Platform. Toby Dorey delivered a strong all round performance in Group D, taking silver on both 3m and platform and adding bronze on 1m. Tallulah Taylor finished second in Age Group C Girls 1m and placed fourth on 3m, while Daisy Costello recorded sixth place finishes on both springboards. Orla Gainfort added a fourth place finish in Age Group C Girls platform. These performances contributed to City of Leeds finishing third overall in the team standings.
Full list of Leeds divers: Seb Auld, Phoebe Baker, Sam Baker, Betsy Crossley, Emily Costello, Daisy Costello, Poppy Dixon, Toby Dorey, Alice Fleming, Orla Gainfort, Theo Gilbert, Flo Hall, Scarlett Han, Archie Isbell, Alice James, Katelyn Kirilova, Benjamin Lavin, Olivia Loney, Jenson Lorimen, Jess Mather, Zain Shamshudin, Erin Simmonds, Swara Suryavanshi, Tallulah Taylor, Beatrice Traviss Turner, Edgar Traviss Turner and Hugo Traviss Turner.
The team was supported throughout by Simon Traviss Turner, Mark Dorey, Wendy Hall and Becky Simmonds as team managers and chaperones. Thank you to all divers, coaches and families for
contributing to a positive and productive week in Plymouth.
City of Leeds Diving Club produced a strong set of performances at the 2026 Scottish National and Open Diving Championships, held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh from 6 to 8 February. The championships have moved from December to February to better align with the wider diving season, and the refreshed slot in the calendar helped deliver a strong, competitive meet, with clubs travelling in from across the UK and further afield.
City of Leeds’ standout story came from Felix Wheeler, who produced a brilliant double gold in the B Boys springboard events. Felix won the 3m title before returning on the final day to take gold again on 1m, backing up his form across both boards with real consistency and composure. Felix also competed strongly on platform on the opening day, narrowly missing out on silverware and finishing fourth in the B Boys platform final.
There was also a senior podium finish for the club in the Open Women’s 3m. Amy Wright progressed through preliminaries in fourth place and then delivered in the final to secure the bronze medal. Earlier in the weekend, Amy reached the Open Women’s 1m final after placing third in preliminaries, finishing fifth in the final.
Across the programme, City of Leeds divers were in action in a range of events and boards. On A Girls platform, Livia Thomas and Kate Gardner both progressed through preliminaries into the final, with Livia placing fifth and Kate sixth in the final. In the A Boys and Open Platform, Fred Crossley moved through from fourth in preliminaries into a fifth-place finish in the final. Tom Casey also represented the club in the Open Men’s events, competing in both the 1m and 3m.
The club was also represented in the B Boys event by Hakim Whyte, who unfortunately had to withdraw mid-competition due to injury. Everyone at City of Leeds Diving sends their best wishes to Hakim for a speedy recovery.
Well done to all City of Leeds divers who competed across the weekend, and thank you to the coaches, team managers and supporters who helped make it possible. Full results from the championships are available via DiveRecorder.
The City of Leeds Diving Club recorded an impressive set of results across both legs of the Swim England North East Regional Diving Championships, also known as the Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix, with medal-winning performances in Harrogate and Leeds.
The championships took place at Harrogate Hydro on Sunday 18 January and at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds on Sunday 25 January, bringing together more than 100 divers from across the region to compete across five age groups and three competition levels. For many athletes, the event also provided an important opportunity to work towards qualification for the National Age Group and Next Gen Championships later in the season.
City of Leeds divers made a strong start to the championships in Harrogate, securing podium finishes across age-group, elite and senior events. Archie Isbell opened the weekend with gold in the Boys A Age Group 3m, while Seb Auld took silver in the Boys B Age Group 3m. In the elite events, Hakim Whyte claimed gold and Felix Wheeler took silver in the Boys B Elite 3m, delivering a one-two finish for the club.
Further medals followed in the C age group events, with Oscar Barker winning silver in the Boys C Age Group 1m and Sam Baker taking bronze in the Boys C Age Group 3m. In the senior men’s competition, Tom secured bronze in the Senior Men’s 3m. In the girls’ events, Erin Simmonds claimed silver in the Girls B Age Group 3m, while Tallulah Taylor enjoyed a standout weekend, winning gold in both the Girls C Age Group 1m and Girls C Age Group 3m, with Swara Suryavanshi adding silver in the 1m event. Flo Hall secured silver in the Girls C Elite 3m. City of Leeds also recorded multiple medals in the D age group, with Alice James winning gold and Katie Kirilova taking silver in the Girls D Age Group 1m, while Phoebe Baker added bronze in the Girls D Age Group Platform. In the senior women’s competition, Amy Wright claimed gold in the Senior Women’s 3m.
The second leg in Leeds built on the momentum from Harrogate, producing a further strong medal haul across age groups, elite and senior events. Archie Isbell continued his fine form, winning gold in the Boys A Age Group Platform and taking silver in the Boys A Age Group 1m. In the elite events, Fred Crossley secured silver in both the Boys A Elite Platform and Boys A Elite 3m. The Boys B categories again delivered excellent results. Seb Auld claimed gold in both the Boys B Age Group Platform and Boys B Age Group 1m, with Edgar Traviss-Turner adding silver in the 1m event. In the elite ranks, Felix Wheeler won gold in the Boys B Elite Platform, with Hakim Whyte taking bronze.
Further success followed in the C and D age groups. Sam Baker won gold in the Boys C Age Group Platform, with Oscar Barker adding bronze, while Zain Shamshudin secured silver in the Boys D Age Group 3m. In the girls’ events, Erin Simmonds added further medals, taking silver in both the Girls B Age Group 1m and Girls B Age Group Platform, with Jessica Mather claiming bronze in the platform event. Olivia Loney delivered a huge personal best to win gold in the Girls C Age Group Platform, with Betsy Crossley securing silver, while Flo Hall took gold in the Girls C Elite Platform. A standout performance came from Scarlett Han, who won gold in the Girls D Age Group 3m, finishing with a superb final dive that earned 9s from the judges.
In the senior events, Amy Wright continued her success, taking gold in the Senior Women’s 1m, with Livia Thomas winning silver and Flo Hall adding bronze. In the men’s competition, Felix Wheeler secured silver in the Senior Men’s 1m, Hakim Whyte took bronze, and Tom added a further bronze in the Senior Men’s 3m.
Across both Harrogate and Leeds, more than 25 City of Leeds divers competed across multiple age groups and boards. Medal finishes, personal bests and consistent performances across the two legs reflected the depth of talent within the club and the commitment of athletes, coaches and volunteers who supported the championships. With both legs complete, the Syd Boothroyd Championships provided a valuable opportunity for City of Leeds divers to test themselves in a highly competitive regional environment and take important steps on the qualification pathway.
The Swim England North East Regional Diving Championships, known as the Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix, returns this January, with two legs taking place across Yorkshire.
The first leg will be held in Harrogate on Sunday 18 January, followed by the second leg in Leeds on Sunday 25 January at the John Charles Centre for Sport.
Across the two weekends, over 100 divers will compete across 44 events. Competition will span five age groups and three competition levels, reflecting the breadth of talent and experience across the North East Region.
For many divers, the Syd Boothroyd Championships represent an important step on the competitive pathway. Athletes will be aiming to achieve the qualifying scores required for the National Age Group and Junior Elite National Championships later in the season, making these events particularly significant.
More than 25 divers from City of Leeds Diving Club will be in action across the two legs, competing across multiple age groups and boards.
Becky Simmonds, Competition Organiser, said: “The Syd Boothroyd Championships are a major organisational effort and a real showcase of the depth of diving talent across the North East Region. Bringing so many athletes, volunteers and officials together across two venues takes careful planning, and it creates a high-quality competitive environment where divers can perform at their best and work towards qualifying scores.”
Spectators, parents and supporters can follow results throughout both weekends via Dive Recorder, with live scoring available during competition.
With qualification on the line and a full programme of events across both weekends, the Syd Boothroyd Championships promises two weekends of high-quality competition, teamwork and community spirit, showcasing the very best of diving in the North East.
City of Leeds divers brought brilliant energy, festive spirit and some outstanding performances to Ponds Forge on Saturday 6 December for the 13th annual Sheffield Santa Skills Invitational skills competition. Hosted by City of Sheffield Diving Club, the meet welcomed more than 250 competitors from 18 clubs across the UK. With festive swimwear and Santa hats on poolside, Christmas music on loop and plenty of tinsel on the balcony, it was the perfect way for our young divers to round off the year.
In the Girls Group E, City of Leeds Diving Club delivered a dominant squad performance. Scarlett Han took a superb gold, topping a field of 31 divers. Teammate Katelyn Kirilova claimed a well-earned bronze, with Alice Fleming and Phoebe Baker close behind in 4th and 5th respectively. There was real depth across the Leeds team in Girls Group E, with Freya Cawood 9th, Amelia Crossley 10th, Charlotte Wilkinson 11th and Poppy Dixon 13th, with further strong performances from Isabella Walker, Esme Yau, Ada Bamford and Myah Armstrong.
One of the most-loved Santa Skills traditions is the festive bonus, where any jump or dive scoring straight 10s earns a £10 cash prize. Scarlett made the most of it, producing two outstanding poolside jumps in the closing stages of her competition and scoring perfect 10s on both. Those final dives lifted her to the top of the leaderboard, securing the Santa Skills title and earning her two bonus prizes in the process, a true Christmas cracker of a performance.
There was more success in Girls Group C, where City of Leeds claimed two of the three podium places in a very strong field. Sophia Wright delivered a confident and consistent performance to win silver, with Sophia Smith close behind taking bronze. With almost 50 divers in the event, securing two podium places was an excellent achievement, supported by strong performances across the team, with Poppy Earnshaw and Eva Dacre both gaining valuable experience in a high-quality, high-energy competition. In Girls Group D, Gabriella Roberts-Smith finished 10th in a large field of 50 divers, with teammates Amelia Farrar and Paige Gaunt also delivering determined performances.
In Boys Group B, Dylan Irwin claimed a deserved silver, pushing the eventual winner all the way in a close contest. In Boys Group E Open, Benjamin Lavin also secured silver in a competitive field, supported by strong performances from teammates Zain Shamshudin in 5th, Hugo Traviss-Turner in 6th, Jenson Lorriman in 7th and Ryan Drinkall in 11th. In Boys Group D Open, Zak Langstaff finished 7th in a field of 23 competitors, rounding off a strong day for the Leeds boys.
City of Leeds divers delivered a strong set of performances at the London Legacy Open 2025, returning from the London Aquatics Centre with five medals in a high-quality international field.
In the senior women’s events, Amy Wright and Kate Gardner led the way for Leeds. On springboard, Amy dived consistently to take bronze on both 1m and 3m. On platform, Kate produced a strong final to secure silver and round off an impressive set of senior results for the club.
In the Open B category, Felix Wheeler claimed silver on platform, splitting two German divers in a highly competitive final, and added bronze in the 3m springboard in one of the highest-scoring events of the competition. Felix’s platform silver was underpinned by two big-scoring 10-metre dives: an armstand back three somersaults for 64.35 points, and a closing forward three-and-a-half somersaults which added 63.45 points and took his total to 371.90 to secure second place. He rounded off his programme with seventh place on 1m springboard after another strong performance in a deep international field. Alongside him, teammate Hakim Whyte finished ninth in both the 3m springboard and platform events, and 19th on 1m.
In the C girls’ events, Emily Costello came agonisingly close to a medal on platform, producing one of the Leeds performances of the week. After qualifying eighth in the preliminaries, she stepped up again in the final to finish fourth, missing the bronze by less than a point. Teammate Flo Hall also delivered a strong platform prelim, finishing 14th in a highly competitive field. Earlier in the meet, Flo had finished 12th on 1m and Emily 21st in a field dominated by teams from the USA and Canada. Both divers then added further international experience on 3m, with Flo placing 17th and Emily 24th in the preliminaries, rounding off a demanding but productive programme in London.
In the A Open platform final, Fred Crossley finished sixth in a high-calibre contest featuring athletes from Germany, the USA and City of Sheffield. Earlier in the day he had qualified in fifth place from the platform preliminaries, showing real composure, and he also gained valuable experience on 3m, placing 16th overall. In the girls’ A category, Livia Thomas finished 15th in a forty-strong international line-up featuring athletes from across Europe and North America.
City of Leeds squad: Emily Costello, Fred Crossley, Kate Gardner, Flo Hall, Chloe Johnson, Livia Thomas, Felix Wheeler, Hakim Whyte and Amy Wright.
Full event results and dive sheets are available on Dive Recorder.
City of Leeds Diving Club is celebrating national pathway recognition for two junior athletes. Betsy Crossley and Daisy Costello have been selected for Swim England’s Youth Development programme.
The Youth Development programme is the first step on Swim England’s talent pathway. Across around seven weekend camps over 20 months, athletes develop technical quality, physical conditioning and competition habits through pool, dryland and education sessions. Betsy and Daisy’s selection reflect their consistent progress and potential to compete at higher levels of the sport.
In recognition of his outstanding performance at this year’s Talent Games, nine-year old Toby has also received a one-off day-guest invitation to the Youth Development camp in Leeds next year. The invite gives him the chance to train alongside the Youth Development Squad across the weekend, taking part in all dryland, pool and education workshops.
Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said, “We are really proud of Betsy, Daisy and Toby. Selection for Youth Development is a brilliant step that recognises their hard work, positive attitude and the way they support each other in training and at competitions. These opportunities help young divers build great habits in and out of the pool and our whole coaching team will be behind them as they take the next steps. Well done to the divers, their families and our coaches for everything that goes into making moments like this possible.”
Betsy and Daisy’s selections build on strong results at the National Age Group Finals in July, where Betsy won bronze on 1m and silver on Platform, and Daisy took silver on 3m.
The invitations follow an excellent club showing at the Swim England Talent Games 2025, hosted at John Charles Centre for Sport. The event brings together the country’s best divers aged 11 and under for two days of dryland and pool-based challenges and is a key selection point for Youth Development. Toby won a hat trick of gold medals in Group E Open Dryland, Pool and Overall, Benji Lavin took silver in Group E Open Dryland, Daisy won bronze in Girls D Dryland, and Phoebe Baker claimed bronze in Girls E Dryland and Overall. The Leeds girls capped the weekend by lifting the Overall Female Team Trophy.
The Swim England Diving Talent Games 2025 brought together the country’s best young divers at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds for two days of competition combining dryland and pool-based challenges. Designed for divers aged 11 and under, the event tests strength, flexibility and technical skill across a series of physical and acrobatic exercises as well as traditional diving events. It also serves as an important selection opportunity for the Swim England Youth Development Squad.
It was a proud weekend for the City of Leeds Diving Club, whose young divers demonstrated focus, discipline and teamwork throughout the event. Toby Dorey led the way with a superb hat-trick of gold medals in the Group E Open Dryland, Pool and Overall categories, underlining his growing consistency and composure in national competition. Benji Lavin also impressed, taking silver in the Group E Open Dryland.
There was more to celebrate across the team, with Daisy Costello taking bronze in the Girls D Dryland competition and Phoebe Baker claiming bronze in both the Girls E Dryland and Overall events. The weekend concluded with a fantastic result for the squad as the Leeds girls lifted the Overall Female Team Trophy, recognising their combined strength across all disciplines.
Head Coach Marc Holdsworth said:
“We’re incredibly proud of how our divers performed this weekend. The Talent Games is such an important milestone in their development, and it was brilliant to see their focus, teamwork and enthusiasm shine through. Every one of them gave their best and supported each other throughout. I also want to thank our coaching team for the time, care and dedication they put into helping each diver reach their potential.”
The Talent Games is one of the most demanding and rewarding competitions in the Swim England calendar, blending fun, friendship and fierce competition. For Leeds, it provided another opportunity to celebrate the hard work and potential of its youngest athletes, supported every step of the way by dedicated coaches, volunteers and families. The results continue a strong run of performances for Leeds divers this season, following impressive showings at the White Rose Invitational and Southampton Invitational earlier this autumn.
It was another outstanding weekend for City of Leeds Diving Club, as the club’s divers competed with focus, determination and a growing sense of confidence across every age group.
In the youngest category, Group E Open, Zain Shamshudin produced a brilliant series of dives to claim gold, with teammate Jenson Lorimen taking a well-deserved bronze. Benji Lavin and Hugo Traviss-Turner both impressed too, finishing strongly inside the top six. The Group E Girls continued the success, where Phoebe Baker took gold after a composed display, with Kate Kirilova delivering another consistent performance to finish fifth.
There was more to celebrate in Group D Girls, as Gabby Roberts-Smith showed poise under pressure to secure bronze, closely followed by Sophie Patterson in fifth. In Group C Girls, Leeds dominated the podium, Sophia Smith performed with style and confidence to take gold, Poppy Earnshaw added bronze and Sophia Wright completed a strong showing in sixth. The momentum continued in Group B Girls, where Hazel Stockton dived superbly to win bronze, with Florence Smith finishing fifth against a tough national field.
Leeds’ strength was also on full display in the invitational platform events, which gave divers valuable experience on the 3m and 5m boards and provided useful practice ahead of next week’s Talent Games competition.
Toby Dorey (diving as a guest) and Zain Shamshudin shared gold in the Group E Open Platform, followed by Jenson Lorimen in fourth, Hugo Traviss-Turner in fifth and Ryan Hemmings in sixth.
The Group E Girls Platform brought another strong set of results for Leeds. Phoebe Baker secured silver, Alice James took bronze, with Poppy Dixon in fourth, Freya Wood in fifth and Kate Kirilova in sixth.
In the Group D Girls Platform, Olivia (guest) took silver, with Betsy Crossley (guest) finishing fourth, Charlotte Roberts-Smith fifth and Jess Kirilova (guest) sixth after strong, composed dives. James Hobson rounded off the event for Leeds, taking gold in the Group D Open Platform.
“I’m really proud of how our divers performed,” said Marc Holdsworth, City of Leeds Diving Club Head Coach. “A number of them are still new to competition, but they’re growing in confidence and you can see their hard work in training starting to shine through in competition.”
There were some excellent performances by Leeds divers at the Southampton Invitational, hosted by Southampton Diving Academy. Samuel Baker led the way with a superb gold in the Group C Platform, and added a bronze in the Group C 3m after finishing 1st in the preliminary. Edgar Traviss-Turner also performed strongly on 3m, finishing fifth in the final. Archie Isbell continued Leeds’ success, diving for the first time in the senior Group A+ category, earning silver on both the 3m and Platform, along with a solid fourth in the 1m event. Orla Gainfort impressed in the Girls Group D & Under events, claiming bronze in the Platform and finishing fourth on the 3m. Competing in her first Age Group competition, Alice James gained valuable experience on the 1m, finishing sixth. In the Girls Group C events, Tallulah Taylor showed great composure to finish fourth on the 1m and sixth on the 3m, demonstrating consistency across both boards. In the Group B Girls 1m, Erin Simmonds finished fourth, while Seb Auld placed fifth in the Group B Platform event.
It was a great weekend in Southampton and a fantastic way to kick off the new season for our Age Group Divers.
The Norman Hunter Suite at Leeds United Football Club was the venue for our annual awards ceremony. Over 150 attendees witnessed our talented young divers celebrate their achievements alongside our Club Olympians. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work. Special mentions must go to Liv Thomas who won the Head Coach Award, and Felix Wheeler, who collected a number of awards to cap off a fabulous season during which he represented Aquatics GB at the Junior European Diving Championships in Athens.
City of Leeds Diving Club welcomes our divers back for the start of the new season following the summer break. Lots of fantastic events and opportunities lie ahead for our talented squads and we wish them all the best!
The club is also delighted to confirm the summer (re)signing of talented coach, James Milton! After leaving the club in 2024 to spend a year seeing the world, James has returned to coach our National Skills Squad. We're certain James's expertise, experience, and calm leadership will set our divers up for success.
Divers from City of Leeds Age Group and Elite squads enjoyed a marvellous week competing against some of the world's best young divers at the Rijeka Open, Croatia. Divers from the USA, Sweden, Germany, the UK, and Croatia competed for gold in the fabulous surroundings at the Kantrida Complex. With multiple podium results across different age categories, it was a successful end of year competition and wonderful experience for our young divers.
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