Aidan Heslop Makes Games Splash For All The Right Reasons

For someone used to diving off a cliff from 28metres – over 90 feet – then the 3m springboard platform was not going to present any fears.

And so it proved for Wales’ 15-year-old dive sensation Aidan Heslop as he qualified for today’s Commonwealth Games final.

Heslop has no issues either that the final at the Optus Aquatic Centre will be at night on the Gold Coast

The Chelmsford-born prospect said: “The highest I’ve dived from is 28metres. This is a lot lower height than cliff-diving. 

“I’ve done cliff-diving at night too so I should be fine. The outdoor pool doesn’t faze me. Outdoors, there’s lots of things that can happen – wind, rain. 

“But because I have a cliff-diving background, I dive all the time in the wind.”

Heslop, who now trains at the centre where Tom Daley honed his skills in Plymouth, overcame any Games nerves to score 352.80 points to qualify in 11th spot.

He is the first diver to compete for Wales at the Games since Bob Morgan in Kuala Lumpur 20 years ago.

“That did put some added pressure on me, definitely, but I just dived through the pressure and it came out OK,” added Heslop, who has been competitive cliff diving since he was 12.

He won a competition against elite men in Switzerland last year having had to be given special dispensation to compete because of his young age.

But he is showed his potential on the boards with bronze at the Diving Grand Prix in Madrid last year.

And he is relishing his first Games experience.

“It was absolutely amazing out there,” added Heslop. “The atmosphere in the pool was incredible and the cheering when I did my dives made me feel incredible.

“I wasn’t particularly expecting to make the final but I hit five of my six dives and I got a solid score.”