Wellington diver outclasses Chinese opponents

Gabe Armstrong-Scott displayed immaculate form at the Asia Pacific Rim Junior Diving Invitational in Wellington, outclassing four visiting Chinese divers from the Shandong province.

The Wellington 13-year-old who hopes to qualify for next year's Commonwealth Games, won the girls' 13-and-under 1m springboard title at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre yesterday.

Armstrong-Scott beat China's Zin Yi Ying, 11, who has been selected to join China's national diving team.

"It's pretty cool beating one of their top age-group divers," Armstrong-Scott said. The St Catherine's schoolgirl attempted dives with a higher degree of difficulty than her competitors, performed with clean execution.

Armstrong-Scott scored 299.20 to beat Yi Ying on 273.70 points. Pie Liu Ying was third with 264.10.

"My dives were very consistent," Armstrong-Scott said. "I've got heaps of big overseas competitions next year so it is a good confidence boost."

On Wednesday, Armstrong-Scott dived below her best to place third in the 3m springboard. Yi Ying won with 331.85 points, from Liu Ying on 298.25 and Armstrong-Scott on 261.10. Armstrong-Scott was second in the 3m knockout behind Yi Ying.

Wellington's Alice Wylie van-Eerd and Armstrong-Scott scored the highest total in the girls' 3m synchro with 266.04 points but Melbourne duo Joanna Halliday and Natalie Kozlov on 221.04 points were declared winners because Wylie van-Eerd, 19, was competing in the under-18 event on an exhibition basis only.

Promising Auckland diver Liam Stone prevented a clean sweep from Shandong in the boys' events. He won the 13-and-under 3m knockout on Wednesday night. Shandong's Xiao Hu Tai beat Stone in 3m competition, with Freddie Pryor from New South Wales third. Wellington's Ollie Armstrong-Scott was third in the boys' 18-and-under 3m springboard yesterday, behind Shandong's Song Ping Le and Angus Colloff, NSW.

At the opening ceremony, Wellington High Performance Aquatics officials said they planned to host teams from America, Australia and China in Wellington again in 2011. WHPA hopes the Asia Pacific Rim event will become a mainstay on the junior international circuit, and will be held every two years.

Gabe Armstrong-Scott will compete in the girls' platform today, before tonight's closing ceremony.

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