Brick hopeful but knows three into two will not go

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

DIVER Max Brick believes he is in the box seat to represent Britain next year - despite national performance director Alexei Evangulov looking to assess his options.

FINGERS CROSSED: Max Brick (R) is hoping that he is one of the two Brits selected to compete in the 10m platform synchro this season (Reuters)

Brick's fledgling career reached an all-time high at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi two months ago when he claimed synchro 10m platform gold alongside teen prodigy Tom Daley.

However it might not have turned out like that had Olympic silver medallist Pete Waterfield not decided against travelling to the Indian capital citing fears of safety, security and facilities.

Russian Evangulov had hoped to cast his eye over the respective partnerships of Brick, Daley and Waterfield at a training camp in Leeds beforehand but with the latter pulling out he couldn't.

Upon Brick and Daley's return home Evangulov begun assessing how the two perform with Waterfield and visa versa but the Southampton diver is confident of the outcome.

"At the moment in terms of the synchro pairing there is me, Pete and Tom - it is sort of like a bit of a triangle," said Brick.

"We are being thrown about a bit and Alexei wants to see who is looking the best at that sort of time and try us out with different partnerships to do different competitions.

"But hopefully if I perform well enough then he will put me with Tom. We know Tom and I work and that Pete and I work we just don't know about Pete and Tom yet.

"They haven't had the chance to compete and for me you can't beat a bit of competition, it keeps you on your toes and it keeps you training hard all day especially when I am with Pete.

"I know how Pete is training and how he is diving and I know I need to keep training hard if he is looking good and if I am training better Pete knows he has to catch up with me."

Key to Brick being chosen to partner Daley in the synchro 10m platform throughout next year, and at the Shanghai World Championships in July, is the work he puts into his individual dives.

He finished eighth in the individual 10m platform at the Commonwealth Games as Daley took gold but Brick insists his performances on his own are improving.

"I am learning a couple of new dives now to be able to make my individual a lot better and that is what all three of us are focusing on at the moment - our individual," he added.

"We are working on getting that into good shape and then putting us together somehow. I like to compete individually because with that you can make a good synchro team."

National Express is a principal sponsor of the Commonwealth Games England team until the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, 2014.  For more information go to www.weareengland.org