European Games 2023: Eden Cheng dives to gold in women's 10m platform to secure Paris 2024 quota for Britain
The 20-year-old takes the top step on the podium ahead of Germany's Christina Wassen and Italy's Sarah Jodoin Di Maria
Diving
Great Britain's Eden Cheng has won gold in the women's 10m platform diving competition at the European Games 2023, today, 23 June, and with it a quota for her country for Paris 2024.
The 20-year-old, who first took up diving after being inspired by watching her home Games in London in 2012, may now have the chance to compete in an Olympics of her own after a thrilling competition in Poland.
Cheng's gold was Team GB's second of the Games after Kieran Reilly's heroics in the men's BMX freestyle on Thursday. But the bigger prize may well be the coveted Olympic quota she secured courtesy of her first-place finish in today's final.
The future is bright for British diving
Having just left her teens, Cheng represents the new school of British divers following the long success of her compatriots including Tom Daley and Jack Laugher. After the success of 18-year-old Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, the winner of the 10m platform competition at last year's Commonwealth Games and European Championships, Cheng's performance proves the future of British diving is now in safe hands.
And while Spendolini-Sirieix is not diving at these European Games, the performance of Cheng will bring new excitement to the British team just 14 months out from Paris 2024. She already has experience of one Olympic Games, coming seventh in the Women's Synchronised 10 Platform competition at Tokyo 2020, and there's little doubt she will be a favourite to once again represent Team GB next year in Paris.
In a closely fought competition today in Poland, Germany's Christina Wassen ended the day with silver, while Italy's early frontrunner in the final Sarah Jodoin Di Maria finished with bronze.
This was the first of four quotas available in diving at the European Games 2023, with more to follow in the women's 3m springboard and men's 3m springboard and 10m platform.
It means more high-stakes action is still to come, as divers fight for tickets to Paris for their nations.