Glasgow 2018 European Championships – Day 8, Summary

Russia marches on, this day in Edinburgh

The only day at the European Championships, which saw competition in one discipline only, brought a Russian double in the diving pool. They won the men’s 3m synchro and made a 1-2 in the women’s 1m, and this three medal-haul rocketed the team to the top of the discipline’s ranks.

Bazhina Nadezhda RUS awarded as LEN diver of the year 2017 Edinburgh 10/08/18 Diving Royal Commonwealth Pool LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

Bazhina Nadezhda RUS Women’s 1m springboard preliminary Edinburgh 10/08/18 Diving Royal Commonwealth Pool LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

Laugher Jack GBR Mears Christopher GBR silver medal Men’s 3m synchronized springboard final Edinburgh 10/08/18 Diving Royal Commonwealth Pool LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

Podium : Kuznetsov Evgenii RUS Zakharov Ilia RUS gold medal, Laugher Jack GBR Mears Christopher GBR silver medal, Hausding Patrick GER Ruediger Lars GER bronze medal Men’s 3m synchronized springboard final Edinburgh 10/08/18 Diving Royal Commonwealth Pool LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

Podium : Poliakova Mariia RUS gold medal, Bazhina Nadezhda RUS silver medal, Bertocchi Elena ITA bronze medal Women’s 1m springboard final Edinburgh 10/08/18 Diving Royal Commonwealth Pool LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

Once the first gold arrived yesterday, the Russian divers found their winning form and they added two more titles to their tally in Edinburgh on Day 8.

The men’s 3m synchro final was a brilliant duel between the Olympic champion Brits and the world champion Russians. Jack Laugher and Chris Mears led before the last round but a mistake cost them the title. Ilya Zakharov and Evgenii Kuznetsov managed to put them under pressure with their last dive which earned the highest score of the afternoon, 94.62 points. At the end only 0.54 points separated the two great pairs but the Russians finished atop.

The women’s 1m turned into a Russian in-house battle between Mariia Poliakova and Nadezhda Bazhina. After the third round Bazhina, silver medallist at last year’s World Championships, led and Poliakova sat in the third position. But the latter one kept her best for the last two rounds, produced two great dives both scoring 61.10 alike and that secured her the title since Bazhina’s points stayed in the mid 50s in each round.

Bazhina, though, got some consolation as she received the 2017 LEN Award (the best female diver in the previous year) from LEN President Paolo Barelli, a fine bonus to her silver medal.

Aquatics action at the European Championships will continue tomorrow as open water swimming resumes with the team relay in Loch Lomond and diving also offers two finals.

For detailed results, medal tables, visit www.len.eu

Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala