New year, new dives for world champion Daley

WORLD champion Tom Daley is set to premiere a brand new dive that he hopes will deliver him more gold in 2010.

DISBELIEF: Tom Daley, who shocked himself and the world with his win in Rome last year, is looking to perfect a slate of new and more difficult dives in 2010 (Getty Images)

Next month's British Gas National Cup in Sheffield will act as a trial for the forthcoming FINA World Cup series and give divers the chance to catch the attention of selectors ahead of a crowded season that includes the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Daley has added one of the world's hardest dives to his repertoire, the back 2 ½ somersaults 2 ½ twists, and will perform the dive for the first time in Sheffield.

"Last year was so great for me and I'm excited to get 2010 started," said Daley, who may also compete in this year's inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

"I am going to be using my new dive in the competition and I am excited to use it for the first time in competition and see how it goes. 

"It is one of the hardest dives out there and we have been working on it since I came back from the World Championships in August.

"For me this competition is going to give me a good confidence boost. If I perform well it will give me a good platform to build on for the rest of the competitions this year.

"The main events that I am looking at for 2010 are the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Hopefully, if I compete well at the British Gas National Cup then I'll be in a position to realise my season's goals."

National performance director Alexei Evangulov knows Daley needs to find a new level if he is to maintain his winning form.

"For Tom this year is about perfecting his new list of dives," he said. 

"At the World Championships he won gold with well executed lower tariff dives and this shocked the world of diving.  However, we now need him to progress and perform his list well at the World Cup. 

"The British Gas National Cup will provide Tom with the chance to test his new list before international competition."