Germany takes mixed team title as European Junior Diving Championships get underway
Germany took the opening title of the European Aquatics Junior Diving Championships 2025 in style at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre – as Mathilda Wendland, Louis Aaron Forster, Charlotte Lederer and Tim Kungel combined for mixed team event gold, with Poland and Italy taking respective silver and bronze.
The quartet lined up for the six-dive programme in good company, with a total of twelve nations looking for their first taste of glory during the seven-day competition.
The pace in the early rounds was set by the other podium finishers, with both Poland and Italy trading blows with a series of impressive dives – namely a 61.60 for Poland’s Back 2 ½ Somersaults Tuck (205C) in round three, and Italy’s Forward 2 ½ Somersaults 1 Twist Pike (5152B) in the same round, ensuring that they were the top two at the halfway stage, separated by just half a point.
It was from there when the Germans began to slowly chip away at that lead, though. With dives four and five both placing themselves individually inside the top five, including a huge 73.60 score for their Armstand Back 2 Somersaults 1 ½ Twists (6243D) in the latter, they sat third with one round to go.
Italy, after a huge 75.60 score of their own in the penultimate round for their Armstand Back 2 Somersaults 2 ½ Twists Free (6243D), suffered a drop on their final dive which ultimately saw them just the wrong side of the higher medals when all was said and done, with a final score of 329.00.
The Polish team, after sitting first before round 4, kept relatively consistent – thanks to a low-fifty average throughout their final half of dives, and a best score of 59.40 for their rather unique Armstand Back 3 Somersaults Tuck (626C) on the final dive. Despite this consistency, they lacked the high-scoring dive needed to take the victory and took the silver medal with a score of 330.10.
This then led to Germany needing a 65+ score for their final dive as the competition opened up – and they delivered the goods. A 67.20 for their Back 2 ½ Somersaults 1 ½ Twists Pike (5253B), which carried a solid 3.2 degree of difficulty and was executed in a similar fashion, was enough for the gold on a total score of 332.65.
The result was warmly received by the well-attended crowd at the same venue which hosted the 2004 Olympic Games diving programme, and the athletes looked to appreciate the significance of the momentn they were in when congratulating each other during ther live podium when the final dive was executed.
With six more days of diving action still to come, and day 2 promising Boys B 1m and Girls B 3m events, along with boys/girls synchronised platform in the mix, those watching online and at the venue will be treated to more drama, thrilling moments and memories to come.
Click here for the schedule and results from the competition.
Click here to watch all the action on European Aquatics TV.
Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
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