Olympic place beckons for Crouch and Barrow

DIVING: European champions Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow all but sealed their Olympic place with a personal best at the British Gas Diving Championships in Sheffield yesterday afternoon. The ten-metre platform synchro pairing continued their impressive year so far with a score of 327.18, beating their previous best set last month when they won the European crown in Eindhoven. It was also a British record.

“It was a little bit crazy because it felt like all eyes were on you,” Couch said. “I dropped one of my dives so it wasn’t the best we can do. If I got that it could have been 330 or above.”

That sort of score would elevate them into Olympic medal contention but Barrow said: “It would be my first time (at the Olympics) but we still have a competition tomorrow so we can’t relax.”

Nick Robinson-Baker and Chris Mears are set to join them in Monday’s squad after winning a third consecutive British men’s 3m synchro title.