Commonwealth Games 2014: Tom Daley and James Denny save best for last to claim silver

Laugher and Mears are in perfect harmony for gold

Jack Laugher and Chris Mears on their way to gold in the three-metres springboard yesterday (PA)

Tom Daley’s fledgling partnership with James Denny, just seven days and three training sessions in the making, proved polished enough to claim a silver medal in Friday night’s 10m synchronised platform final. The English pair struggled through a competition short on quality but clicked for their last, and most challenging, dive.

Daley and Denny were ranked fourth of the four teams competing in the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh – the diving is one of two events being held outside Glasgow – after five of the six dives whereupon they scored 95.46 via a front four and a half somersaults, their best dive of the competition, and one that came close to claiming gold.

Instead by the slender margin of 0.18 of a point – in a competition that was won with a total of 399.54 points – that went to the Australians, Domonic Bedggood and Matt Mitcham, who will be Daley’s main rival in today’s individual platform event.

It was only decided to pair Daley and Denny up after the team arrived in Scotland, so this was a decent start even if there were only four teams in the final after the injured Malaysians withdrew. The organisers decided that no bronze medal would be awarded.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Daley. “We only started training for the first time last Friday and have only had three sessions, so I am really happy with the way it went. For the last dive I said ‘give it everything because anything can happen’. We managed to do it and James did a great job.

“Considering we went to nearly 400 points with just one good dive I think we will go into the European championships and enter the synchronised. With a bit more training under out belts we could go quite far.”

England’s Jack Laugher took his second gold, and third medal, of the Games after winning the three-metre springboard with Chris Mears during the afternoon. Laugher doubled up in company with Mears, his best friend, having won the individual event on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Mears suffered a ruptured spleen while diving five years ago and required life-saving surgery. “I learnt a lot from what happened to me,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t have made London if I hadn’t gone through that. I was a bit of a doss. It made me step up and realise that life only happens once and you have to work hard if you want to achieve your dreams.”