BUDAPEST 2010: Gladding and Sylvester bag diving bronze at Euros

By David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Budapest

MONIQUE Gladding and Megan Sylvester have claimed Great Britain's first diving medal of the European Championships - bagging bronze in Budapest.

OFF THE MARK: Monique Gladding and Megan Sylvester claim Britain's first diving medal of the European Championships (Getty Images)

The duo combined in the women's 10m synchro platform to collect 300.66 points in the Hungarian capital, as gold went to German duo Christin Steuer and Nora Subschinski, who amassed 319.68.

The Brits, who won silver at the Fort Lauderdale Grand Prix last year, were just 5.64 points behind silver medallists Iulia Prokopchuk and Alina Chaplenko of the Ukraine.

"We came out here hoping we were going to get a medal, that was our kind of target but it has been a rocky year for us so far so to finally complete that is a good result for us," said 29-year-old Gladding, 13 years Sylvester's senior.

"I had surgery just under a year ago, just after the World Championships last year.

So with me coming back from injuries as well, it is just a case of trying to put it all together.

"They said to me it would take about a year until I was fully not feeling it and I was back to 100 per cent fitness and they said three or fourth months until I was able to start back again.

"They said it was going to decline and the last thing I wanted was to be six months out from London and be told my hip has gone.

"This is my fourth Europeans and I have had two fourths and this is the first time I have been on the podium."

Sylvester has little time to celebrate her success as she heads to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games on Monday, looking for more success with Great Britain.

"I've had my fair share of lots of different injuries and we didn't end up training very much at the start of the year," she added.

"And then I grew quite a bit and I changed coaches as well so everything has happened this year so to win a medal is great.

"I've grown about a full head so it changes lots and it took us a while to get used to.

"I'm off to Singapore on Monday as well so hopefully I can carry on doing well and I can win another medal there as well."

Great Britain's swimmers have collected 12 medals so far in Budapest while Tom Daley will be looking to defend his 10m platform European title on Sunday.

 The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels - from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming