Tom Daley believes this summer is worth tuning into after finishing fifth in a record-breaking 10m platform final to round off the London leg of the Diving World Series.
The 19-year-old returned to the scene of his London 2012 bronze medal triumph on Sunday looking to get home fans celebrating once again.
With Olympic champion David Boudia just one of many world-class divers in attendance, Daley knew he would have to be at his very best to be in with a chance.
But, it was a new face that caught the headlines, with World Series debutant Yang Jian storming to victory for China with 616.50 points, including a world diving record 123 on his final effort.
Silver went to Aisen Chen, also of China, with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Bondar and Boudia in third and fourth respectively ahead of Daley.
Daley himself posted a score of 525.45, dropping his second dive before receiving two tens from the judges on his final effort to end things on a positive note.
“My reverse 3.5 is the dive that I put in the end for the reason that I know that I can do it well and I can handle the pressure,” he said.
“I said to Jane, my coach, just before the last dive that I’m going to get a 102, which is the maximum points, and I went for it getting 96.90.
“It was obviously a really high standard. It seems like this pool creates a really high standard of diving.
“In all the events it’s been the highest score of the World Series so far so the standard is just insane and if it keeps improving like this it’s going to be an exciting World Cup and Commonwealth Games.”
There was also British representation in the final of the women’s 10m platform as Tonia Couch placed sixth on 353.70 with four-time Olympic champion Ruolin Chen again bossing the boards for China in first place.
But despite not adding to her 10m platform World Series bronze from the opening leg in Beijing last month, Couch still put it down as progress.
“I’m actually more pleased with myself this weekend than when I came third in China, I scored higher this time around,” said Couch, who won silver with 10m synchro partner Sarah Barrow in London.
“It was so tough, everybody dived amazing and I’m really pleased with the way I dived, scoring 353 which I haven’t done for a while so I’m going to walk away with my head held high."
© Sportsbeat 2014