Diver Swain laid up for all of 2010 season

LONDON 2012 medal hopeful Ben Swain will miss the entire 2010 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in training.

CROCKED: British diver Ben Swain will be out of action for the whole of the 2010 season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (Getty Images)

Swain and his diving partner Nick Robinson-Baker had enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2009, claiming the 3m synchronised FINA World Series crown and landing a cash prize of $10,000.

The duo teamed up to finish seventh at the World Championships last summer, following a below-par penultimate dive at the Foro Italico in Rome but vowed to be back with a bag in 2010.

With Swain now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines however, Robinson-Baker, who finished seventh alongside Swain at the Beijing Olympics, has now been forced to focus on his individual event.

But with surgery scheduled for the spring, 23-year-old Swain insists he will be back on top form in time for the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai.

"I am really disappointed to have this injury at the beginning of the season because I was feeling strong and ready for the rest of 2010," he said.

"I will be out for the rest of the season and I think it really is a shame to miss the World Cup, World Series and the Commonwealth Games.

"This year Nick and I were hoping for medals in all of the World Series events and Commonwealth Games.

"I know I will come back fighting for 2011 in preparation for the 2012 Olympics with my individual and synchro lists."

Meanwhile, British Diving performance director Alexei Evangulov is also choosing to look on the bright side and is confident Swain's recovery will be as speedy as possible. 

"It is disappointing that Ben will now be out for the rest of the season but his programme for recovery has been created and we have a very good medical team behind him," he said.

"It is good that this is an injury that can be fixed and he will return to competition.

"We have a special strength and conditioning programme in place for Ben for when he can't train and this will help keep his fitness up. We are all behind him and he will come back stronger."

This weekend sees Britain's top divers compete at the British Gas National Cup in Sheffield as they look to book their places at the FINA Grand Prix events in the lead up to the World Diving Cup in July.

Ten metre platform world champion Tom Daley will be debuting one of the world's hardest dives in front of a home crowd, as he prepares for the upcoming international season.

Joining 15-year-old Daley will be fellow Olympian Tonia Couch who reached the final in Beijing in the 10m synchro and 10m platform.