TWO exciting prospects from Southend Diving have won a prestigious place on the Swim England Diving Team Zone squad after starring at the Swim England Diving Talent Games 2017.

Todd Geggus, 10, and Brooke Cullen, 11, excelled at the annual Talent Games as part of a five-string team sent by Southend Diving, who are based at Southend Swimming and Diving Centre in Garon Park.

And Shan Veasey, head coach at Southend Diving, said she was delighted with the pair’s success.

“It is so rewarding to see our local divers succeed at such a high level on a national stage, as well as gain well-deserved recognition,” she said.

“Our Talent Games squad has been training hard in preparation for this elite competition, and each diver has been lucky enough to receive invaluable support from their schools, which is reflected in the success and individual achievement that each child has attained.”

The Swim England Diving talent pathway invites clubs from across the country who have already identified potential talent in a bid to see them first hand.

The divers are asked to compete across a broad spectrum of gym and pool based activities over two days to test each child’s technical and physical capabilities.

The youngsters will now begin a two-year diving programme in January, which leads to the Elite Pathway.

Todd and Brooke will take part in seven training camps around the country, with the programme designed to nurture and fine-tune diving technique and develop athletic abilities.

And the pair will have recognised some familiar faces once they begin, with fellow Southend Diving team-mates Jessie Millham and Evie Ledger, both 12, also on the course.

Jessie and Evie have just completed their first year of the programme and are now moving into year two.

While Todd and Brooke were selected, John Wylie, 11, Abby Rust, 10, and Daisy O’Shea, nine, missed out although all took away important lessons.

Those enrolled in the programme will now bid to emulate previous success stories, with successfully developed talents going on to GB World Class Programmes and compete in World Championships and Olympic Games - where five divers from the programme competed in London 2012.