British Diving included the 30-year-old in a 12-member squad today that is headlined by Tom Daley.

While Daley's inclusion was a formality, after he won both the individual and synchro platform titles at the British Gas Diving Championships at the weekend, Gladding (pictured above) had to rely on the discretion of British Diving's selection panel.

She finished third in the women's platform in Sheffield but despite that it was decided to include her alongside winner Stacie Powell in London.

The City of Sheffield diver had to be dragged to safety from the bottom of the diving pool in February last year after she hit her head on the concrete 10 metre platform and plummeted unconscious into the water.

She was left with a large scar across the top of her scalp but was back on diving's highest board less than six months before top-10 finishes at the World Cup and European Championships this year.


"It's my third attempt at an Olympics, last time I missed out slightly and the time before," she said.

"To be in London, after the year I've had – I've had to dig deeper than ever.

"It's been such a good year.

"I have given everything I've got.

"I am really over the moon to be part of Team GB.

"It is going to be such an honour to represent Great Britain at a home Olympics.

"Since the disappointment of not making the Beijing team I have had many ups and downs to get to today's announcement.

"I was making real headway until February 2011 and then I had my accident which threw me yet another curve ball.

"It has taken a lot but I am now fully back, ready and excited to put on my Team GB Tracksuit.

"I really can't wait to be back on the boards in London competing in front of an amazing home crowd.

"It really is a dream come true."


Daley (pictured above), who was officially named today along with 11 others in the Team GB diving team for London 2012, believes he is diving as well as at any time in his career, and that one particular dive could hold the key to further success at the Games this summer.

"I am really excited to be part of Team GB for the London 2012 Olympics," Daley said.

"To be able to say that I will be competing in front of that home crowd is amazing.

"There'll be 17,500 people all behind us wanting us to do well and I can't wait to hear the noise they'll make.

"A home Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I really can't wait to get onto those boards at the Aquatics Centre again."

Daley effectively confirmed his selection by winning the 10m platform individual title at the British Gas Diving Championships in Sheffield.

Earlier this year, the British Diving performance director Alexei Evangulov claimed the former world champion was letting his media commitments undermine his Olympic dream before likening him to Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova.

Daley responded by becoming overall World Series champion and reclaiming the European title he first won as a 13-year-old.


"I'm diving at the moment the best I have throughout my career," he said.

"I'm loving my diving at the moment.

"Knowing that I'm diving well going to an Olympic Games is a really nice feeling.

"I just have to maintain it.

"I'm going into each competition knowing I can perform and score a 10.

"It's just about doing it on the day."

Daley twice attracted scores of 10 in his final and only a slight mistake on his penultimate back three-and-half somersaults prevented him from eclipsing his best for the third successive meet.

"That's the dive I want to really work on before the Olympics," he said.

"I can either get a really big score from it or like this evening it can cost me.

"There's lots of hard work to do before the Olympics Games."

The squad ratified by the British Olympic Association (BOA) today has Daley competing in both the men's 10m individual competition, and together with Peter Waterfield, in the men's 10m synchronised event.


Waterfield (pictured above, second right) is the most experienced British diver selected and will compete in his fourth consecutive Olympics.

At the Athens 2004 Games he won Team GB's first diving medal since 1960 alongside Leon Taylor in the 10m synchronised event.

Tonia Couch (pictured above, second left) and Sarah Barrow (pictured above, first left) will go into London 2012 full of confidence in the women's 10m synchronised event after making history by becoming Britain's first women's European Diving Champions in Eindhoven last month.

Nick Robinson-Baker and Chris Mears are selected in the men's 3m synchronised event after claiming their third consecutive men's 3m synchro title at the British Championships, which took place in Sheffield this weekend.

One of the youngest members of the squad is Jack Laugher, 17, who demonstrated his potential by winning the British men's 3m springboard title on Saturday and Powell helped to secure her place on Team GB with victory in the women's 10m individual event.

The other divers selected are Alicia Blagg and Rebecca Gallantree in the 3m synchronised and Hannah Starling 3m individual.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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