Tom Daley and Rebecca Gallantree combined for gold in the inaugural Mixed Team Event to win Great Britain’s second medal in as many nights at the Kazan 2015 World Championships.
Following on from Jack Laugher and Chris Mears’ bronze in yesterday’s 3m Synchro, the Brits scored 434.65 for their six dives to take top spot ahead of Ukraine’s pair Oleksandr Gorshkovozov and Iuliia Prokopchuk (426.45) and Chinese duo Xie Siyi and Chen Ruolin (425.40).
Having won 10m Platform gold in 2009, Daley is now the first British diver to win multiple World Championship medals while Gallantree is the first British female diver in history to reach the World Championship podium.
The Mixed Team Event is being featured for the first time at a World Championships and the format – which sees one male and one female diver perform individually from both the 3m springboard and 10m platform – brought out the best in the Brits’ versatility.
And Daley admitted they had come into the event with low expectations, having finished sixth with Gallantree in their only other Mixed Team performance at the 2012 European Championships.
“We really don’t know what happened there,” admitted Daley. “We went in to the competition as a bit of a warm-up for our individual events.
“But to come away with a result like that is amazing. I had my highest score ever on the armstand, Becky did one of her best front dives in competition she’s ever done.
“I was a little bit nervous doing the dive from 3m because I’m not used to springboard diving. I actually thought I was going to hit my head on the board but I got nines for that dive.
“I’ve never had 10s before for my armstand and then that happened which is a positive and then the back went down pretty nicely as well.”
While Gallantree had already competed in Kazan, finishing 10th in the 3m Synchro, it was Daley’s first appearance of the Championships and after scoring 53 for his low tariff inward 1 ½ somersaults piked from the 3m, the 21-year old hit top form from the more familiar 10m.
He received four 10s and a score of 101.5 – the highest of the competition – for his armstand back triple somersault, before sealing gold with 99 points for his back 3 ½ somersaults piked in the final round.
Gallantree’s experience and consistency was just as crucial and the 30-year old kept a calm head to score 47 for her opening reverse dive piked from the 10m then 66.65 and 67.50 for her two dives from the springboard.
“I can’t quite believe it. It’s a little bit surreal at the moment,” said Gallantree. “To be honest, I’m gutted I didn’t do a front like that in the synchro but obviously there’s lots of positives to take out of it and I’m really looking forward to my individual now.”
Gallantree will begin her individual 3m Springboard campaign on Friday while Daley will compete in the 10m Platform prelims on Saturday.
Swimming news courtesy of British Swimming.
