FOUR of Southampton Diving Academy’s top junior divers have returned from representing their country in outdoor international events in Italy.

Gemma McArthur, Madeleine Angell, Brandon Foster and Emily Martin were selected following their excellent performances at The National Junior Elite Championships.

McArthur represented Great Britain at The Junior European Championships in Bergamo, travelling with the 17-strong Junior GB team.

She finished fourth in the Girls 16/18 Years Platform event, improving her 354.60 qualifying score to 359.80.

This was her first time competing for Team GB and her first experience in an outdoor pool. Angell, Foster and Martin all earned a place on the England team that travelled to Rome.

Diving in the girls 14/15 years, Angell scored over 50 points for each optional dive, achieving a personal best score and winning gold by an incredible 33-point margin.

Angell also won bronze in her 1m springboard event after holding the lead for most of the event. Martin, competing in the girls 12/13 Years, performed an excellent set of six dives in her platform event to record a personal best score.

She finished with an outstanding inward two and half somersaults tuck from the 5m platform, attracting a score of 60.45 points to secure bronze.

Martin achieved a respectable fifth with another personal best score in her 1m springboard competition.

She was also proud to receive the ‘female highest scoring dive of the meet’ award for her 60.45 point dive on platform.

This was a fantastic achievement as she was up against female divers from all age groups, up to and including 16/18 Years.

Brandon Foster was fourth in the boys 12/13 years platform, just 0.55 of a point off bronze despite scoring 8’s for his incredible handstand dive.

He also recorded a personal best score on 3m.

Martin has also secured a place on British Diving’s England Talent Programme 2014/15 after being invited to Leeds along with Foster and over 20 other Junior Elite divers from across the UK for a weekend of pool and gym assessments. She passed all 12 tests.