The Swim England North East Regional Diving Championships – the Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix 2026 – delivered two weekends of high-quality competition in January, showcasing the depth of talent and strength of the region’s diving community.

The championships were staged across two venues, with Leg 1 taking place at Harrogate Hydro on 18 January, followed by Leg 2 at the John Charles Centre for Sport on 25 January. Divers from across the North East competed across multiple age groups, boards, and performance levels, with many athletes aiming to secure qualification scores for the National Age Group and Next Gen Championships later in the season.

Becky Simmonds, Diving Competition Planning Lead, praised the collective effort behind the event:

“Delivering a regional championships across two weekends and two venues is a major logistical undertaking. It simply would not be possible without the commitment and support of our volunteers, officials and clubs. It has been great to see such strong participation from across the region and to watch divers perform in a positive, well-run competitive environment.”

Strong Performances Across Age Groups

Across both legs, a number of divers delivered consistent podium performances. In the open age-group programme, Archie Isbell (City of Leeds Diving Club) built on a strong opening weekend with further medals in Leeds, while Edward Kelly (City of Bradford Esprit Diving Club) claimed gold in the A Age Group Open 1m event during the second leg. The Open B competitions saw Seb Auld (City of Leeds Diving Club) and Isaac Beck (City of Sheffield Diving Club) feature on the podium across both weekends.

The C age group events were keenly contested throughout. James Sheridan and Alex Christian (both City of Sheffield Diving Club) impressed in Harrogate, while Samuel Baker and Oscar Barker (both City of Leeds Diving Club) reached the podium in Leeds.

The girls’ programme also produced closely fought contests and repeated podium appearances. In the B age group, Sofia Griffiths-Williams (City of Sheffield Diving Club) and Erin Simmonds (City of Leeds Diving Club) medalled across both weekends, with Chloe McCurdy (City of Sheffield Diving Club) taking gold in Leeds. In the C age groups, Tallulah Taylor (City of Leeds Diving Club) delivered a consistently strong championships, supported by podium finishes from Swara Suryavanshi (City of Leeds Diving Club). The Leeds platform competition featured a high-quality field led by Olivia Loney (City of Leeds Diving Club), alongside Betsy Crossley (City of Leeds Diving Club) and Beth Moxon (City of Sheffield Diving Club).

In the D age groups, a large and competitive field saw standout performances from Scarlett Han (City of Leeds Diving Club) and Fearne Hauschild (City of Sheffield Diving Club) in Leeds, following strong results during the Harrogate leg.

Elite and Senior Competition

Elite and senior events added further quality to the championships. In the B Elite Open events, Hakim Whyte and Felix Wheeler (both City of Leeds Diving Club) were consistent performers across the two weekends, while Lucas Bishop (City of Sheffield Diving Club) and Evan Cooper (Darlington ASC) featured prominently in Leeds.

The women’s elite competitions saw strong performances from Izzy Diacon and Willow Kesteven-McGrath (City of Sheffield Diving Club), alongside Chloé Strutt in the A Elite events. In senior competition, Declan Rogan (City of Sheffield Diving Club) topped the Senior Male 1m in Leeds, with Felix Wheeler and Hakim Whyte completing the podium. Lewis Neilson (City of Sheffield Diving Club) recorded the leading score in the Senior Male 3m in Harrogate. In the senior women’s events, Amy Wright (City of Leeds Diving Club) featured prominently across both legs, with Livia Thomas and Flo Hall also reaching the podium in Leeds.

Scholarship Presentation and Volunteer Support

A special moment during the Leeds weekend saw Kev Sissons, President of the Yorkshire Swimming Association, present Willow Kesteven-McGrath with the Jack Laugher Diving Scholarship for 2026, recognising her exceptional commitment, resilience and progression within the sport.

Behind the scenes, the championships were supported by a large team of volunteers and officials whose time and expertise were essential to delivering two full competition programmes across two venues. The event also benefited from the support of local partners, including Co-op, who generously provided lunch for the volunteer team.

Swim England North East Region would like to thank all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and clubs involved in delivering the Syd Boothroyd Diving Grand Prix 2026. The successful staging of the championships once again highlighted the strength, depth and collaborative spirit of diving across the North East.