Sponsored by
Gallantree happy to fly the flag for Leeds' Olympic hopes
THE Leeds diving success story continues to go from strength to strength, with twins Helen and Carol Galashan taking bronze in the recent European Diving Championships in Turin.
The success of the Galashan twins in the 10m synchro event is just the latest in a long line of achievements for the City of Leeds Diving Club.
As a result, a strong representation at London 2012 for the club looks assured, with another successful Leeds diver, 24-year-old Becky Gallantree, aiming for her second Olympic Games.
The University of Leeds sports science alumnus Gallantree, was crowned 1m and 3m springboard national champion earlier this year, as her club tore apart the opposition in the British Championships at Ponds Forge.
Gallantree's next four years are now geared towards London following her appearance at Beijing last year alongside Leeds team-mate Tandi Gerrard.
With Gerrard now retired, Chelmsford-born Gallantree has become Leeds' diving flag-bearer – but some 15 years ago she wasn't even the top diver in her family!
That honour went to elder sister Katherine – now a successful accountant – and Gallantree admits it was because of her elder sibling that she took up the sport.
"I was quite good at synchro swimming lessons and there was also my sister who is three years older than me and she started diving first," said Gallantree.
"At that age I wanted to do everything she did so I started diving as well!
"She was never quite as competitive as I was and she quit when she was about 16 or 17 as she did it much more for fun than competitively. She's really happy for me and I don't think she ever really looked at it in terms of getting as far as I did.It's not like she is jealous or anything, she is happy doing what she is doing."
With Katherine currently taking a break from accountancy and travelling, it would be little surprise if the two sisters crossed international paths over the next few months with Becky on a continual competitive worldwide tour.
Becky has just returned from a highly successful first two legs of the Diving World Series in Qatar and China and following leg three in Sheffield, Rome calls for this year's World Championships in July.
Gallantree is delighted with her current progress as all roads lead to London 2012.
Training
"Training is going really well and I've just got back from China as I've been away for the World Series," she said.
"We went to Dohar for the first week and then China for the second week – they were the first two legs of the World Series and it went really well as I came eighth in Dohar and sixth in China.
"It went particularly well in China because I got my second best score ever.
"It's all going the right way at the moment and there is still more in there. I know I can still do better than I have done.
"Hopefully, I can keep on improving going on to Sheffield and then after that we have a big block of training before the World Championships in July.
"I just want to do as well as I can do really as this year is the first year of a four-year-plan."
After finishing 25th in the 3m springboard Beijing heats, Gallantree is realistic regarding her medal prospects come the London Games, but one factor that would certainly boost her chances would be a synchro partner.
Unfortunately, such things do not grow on trees – not unless you are Chinese – but Gallantree hopes that might change.
"I am just looking to get some good results in year one and then keep progressing and improving towards 2012 really," she said.
"A medal would obviously be brilliant but it all depends a little bit on synchro as at the moment I haven't got a synchro partner but we are looking at that this year and hopefully I might find someone.
"In the synchro, each country is only allowed one synchro pair in the final whereas individually quite often the top seven are Chinese because the Chinese are so dominant in the sport.
"There is a chance I could be doing synchro this season, but I just don't know."
One factor of Gallantree's success that is not in doubt is the thriving set-up of the Leeds diving team run by Aidy Hinchliffe and Edwin Jongejans at the John Charles Centre for Sport.
The latest success of the Galashan twins follows a scintillating Nationals at Ponds Forge in February when Leeds hailed four national champions in Gallantree, the Galashan twins, Charles Calvert (3m men's springboard) and Sarah Barrow (10m women's platform).
Gallantree admits success very much breeds success.
"It's been great, there is a great atmosphere and it is really good with the whole Leeds team doing really well," she said.
"We are partly helped by the brilliant facilities we have down there at the moment – it is obviously a massive improvement from the Leeds International Pool and it is a great environment to be training in.
"We also have great coaches who work really well together in Aidy and Ed and we have just got a really good system going on down there at the moment.
"Everyone just works really hard and I think that sort of rubs off on each other as well.
"Sometimes you might come in and not necessarily feel up for it that day, but then you have got people around you who are training really hard and that makes you want to train hard as well."
Gallantree also knows even the current levels of success may yet be surpassed with the likes of 13-year-old Hannah Starling and 12-year-old Alicia Blagg claiming fourth and fifth overall in the 3m event.
"They are actually doing their Senior Internationals before they do their Junior Internationals so that is really good," she said.
"There are a lot of juniors who are coming through in Leeds and they look really good so they should be good prospects for the future."
An Essex girl by birth she may be but Gallantree is now flying the flag for Leeds as well as for Team GB.
And if there is one more bonus to be borne by Leeds' increased production of diving talent it is that in international competitions, Becky will never be lonely on the plane!
She added: "I was originally from Chelmsford in Essex and I came up to Leeds for University when I was 18.
"I've just stayed here since – I really loved it as I came here partly for the University and partly for the diving. I always feel that I am representing Leeds and you certainly are in the national competitions and you just do as well as you can do.
"Internationally, it is more about your country, but I will always be diving for Leeds."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
