Diving: England divers in the medals

England opened their medal account before the Commonwealth Games had officially started yesterday, taking a silver and bronze in the diving pool on Day Zero. Tony Ally, who shot to fame at the 1996 Olympic Games by selling off his kit while claiming he was too poor to eat, will awake this morning, officially Day One, with a silver medal from the one-metre springboard on his bedside table.

Jane Smith, who won the Gladiators television series twice, had the honour of being England's first medallist at the Games when she won bronze in the women's competition.

"I'm the happiest man in the Athletes' Village," said Ally, who produced a superb last effort of 74.70 points to finish as runner-up to the defending champion, 17-year-old Alexandre Despatie of Canada. "The Sheffield team is solid," he added.

Ally and Smith train together in Sheffield and great things are forecast for the club. "You are going to see a big boost for English diving at these Games," Ally said.

He finished with 386.87 points, Despatie with 404.55. The silver was Ally's second career medal at the Commonwealth Games, having won bronze in the three-metre springboard in Kuala Lumpur four years ago. Nine men contested yesterday's event, three of them English. Mark Shipman reached the six-man final while Peter Waterfield, a hope in the 10-metre platform, did not.

In the women's event, Smith produced consistency when it counted most to score 274.71 points, behind Australia's Irina Lashko, who ende with 302.82 points and Blythe Hartley of Canada, 287.04.

"I always wanted to come to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. I knew there would be a great atmosphere and it hasn't let me down. To win England's first medal is fantastic and I'm really pleased," she said.