Jack Laugher leads strong Yorkshire diving contingent to Commonwealth Games

The Olympic champions have been named alongside Tom Daley in a 13-strong diving squad for the Gold Coast, with the Games set to get under way at the start of April.

Laugher won Great Britain’s first Olympic diving gold alongside City of Leeds team-mate Mears in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard event in Rio.

The 23-year-old underwent ankle surgery during November 2017 and believes he is on course to help Team England make a major splash Down Under.

“I am back in the pool and training pretty hard,” said Harrogate’s Laugher.

“I am not back to full fitness yet, there are still some things I am restricted on, but that will come with time. We are still eight weeks out or so.

“Overcoming surgery at any time of your career is difficult. I am keeping as positive as possible. I am just going to work hard with my team, the doctors and the physios to make sure that I am in the best possible shape for the Commonwealths.”

Gold Coast 2018 will be the third Commonwealth Games where Laugher and Mears have competed, the duo collecting gold in Glasgow four years ago.

Reading’s Mears, 24, feels they will head to Australia with renewed focus after coming down from the high of their Olympic success.

“It was difficult afterwards to get our heads around. We were a little bit down and deflated after it, which I think is the only way you can go from that, which was an ecstatic winning performance in Rio,” said Mears.

Daley, meanwhile, will head to Australia looking to add to the three Commonwealth gold medals he claimed in 2010 and 2014.

The 23-year-old, world champion at the 10m platform, will also take part in the 3m synchronised event.

Another 2014 champion featuring in the England squad to travel to Australia’s Gold Coast is Wakefield’s Alicia Blagg.

Brothers Jack and Ross Haslam, from Sheffield, are set to take part in the 3m synchronised category.

Squad: Robyn Birch (Dive London), Alicia Blagg (Leeds), Tom Daley (Dive London), Matthew Dixon (Plymouth), Daniel Goodfellow (Leeds), Jack Haslam (Sheffield), Ross Haslam (Sheffield), Jack Laugher (Leeds), Matty Lee (Leeds), Chris Mears (Leeds), Katherine Torrance (Leeds), Lois Toulson (Leeds), Noah Williams (Dive London).