Daley impresses in final

Britain's teenage diving sensation Tom Daley finished an impressive seventh in the 10metre platform final at the Water Cube.

The Plymouth 14-year-old was competing in his first individual Olympic final but was up against much more experienced opposition and is not yet at the standard of the divers contesting the medals.

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Daley began well and was joint fourth after the first round but that was a false position as he had done one of his most difficult dives and gradually he was overtaken.

Nevertheless, his performance made him the highest-placed British diver at the Beijing Olympics.

As he walked on to the platform for his first dive there was a broad grin and the hint of a giggle but then it was straight down to the serious stuff.

He began well with a back two-and-a-half somersault with one-and-half twists with a pike - one of his most difficult dives - and scored 81.6 which put him joint fourth out of 12.

In the semi-final Daley's first two efforts had let him down but there was no sign of big night nerves as he then posted 78 for his second dive, giving him 159.6 after two rounds.

That was better than at the same stage of his semi (143.40) but dropped him to seventh - 10.5 points adrift of the bronze medal position.

He slipped a further place after round three but his fifth dive, a back three-and-a-half somersault with tuck, gained 84.15 and lifted him back up to sixth.

But a final dive scored at 64.6 cost him a place.

The gold medal was snatched in the penultimate dive by Australia's Matthew Mitcham who scored 112.10 - the highest score of the Games - to take him above long-time Chinese leader Zhou Luxin on 537.95.