LONDON VAUXHALL DEALERS

TOM DALEY admitted he is already getting 'really excited' after the city diving superstar was named in the Great Britain squad for this summer's Olympics.

Plymouth Diving's Daley will lead the Great Britain charge in both the men's individual 10m platform and the synchro events at the London Games.

Daley made certain of his place in the teenager's own 'dream Games' by winning a gold medal at the British Championships which doubled as Olympic trials at Sheffield's Ponds Forge at the weekend.

The former world champion scored a total of 547 points in the individual, outscoring Waterfield who ended the dive-off with 452.

Britain's new national champion will be joined in both events by individual runner-up Peter Waterfield, while Daley's club-mates Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow have both been picked for the women's 10m synchro.

Although the most casual observer of diving would have assumed Daley was a shoo-in for London 2012, for the 18-year-old European champion to see his name on the list was clearly a relief.

And, he said, a reward for the self sacrifice and long hours spent training for the globe's biggest sporting event.

Daley said: "It is very exciting. It feels really great to be finally named in the Great Britain Olympic team.

"After all the training hours I've had to put in and all the thousands of dives, it feels so good to know I'm going to be there."

Daley acknowledged that because of his own excellent form this year the level of national expectation for him to medal will have been cranked up a couple of notches more.

But the teenager insisted his rivals, notably China's number one Qiu Bo, will also be feeling the strain the closer the Briton gets to him at world-class tournaments.

Daley said: "The pressure is going to be massive for everyone. It comes down to whoever deals with it the best.

"Qiu Bo has never been to an Olympic Games, so he's not going to know what it's like.

"There will be a lot of pressure on him, because he's the favourite and from China.

"And, gradually, everyone's scores around the world are getting higher and higher and therefore, closer to him."

The Plymothian believes having taken part in one Olympic Games already will work to his advantage.

Daley said the experience could be key to how he handles the pressure in London.

He said: "I think it helps massively to have been able to compete in the Olympics in Beijing.

"I've gained the experience of being at one. If I hadn't gone there (Beijing), it could have been a little bit overwhelming, being at home and all."

Daley admitted his own form in the lead up to next month's Olympics had been very pleasing, to say the least.

The 2008 Olympic finalist in Beijing, at the age of just 14 years and reigning Commonwealth Games champion ended this year's prestigious World Series as number one and then reclaimed the European individual crown in Eindhoven last month.

Daley, though, while delighted with those awards, said he is looking forward, with all his thoughts concentrated on the Aquatics Centre.

"The Olympics is the major event of the year and that is what you want to peak for. Everything is focused and concentrated on the Games in London," said Daley.

"Yes, I want to do well in every single competition I take part in, because I'm competitive.

"Everything I do, I want to do to the best of my ability: I'm a perfectionist.

"I go into every competition trying to win, because that's my nature.

"The only thing I can focus on is myself as diving is such an individual sport, not like tennis, for example, where you can hit a ball in one direction and your opponent will hit it back in another.

"With diving, you do what you do and hope it's good and the other divers will do exactly the same for themselves."

Daley said he is becoming confident at mastering what he considers his most difficult dive – the forward 4½ somersault, but insisted he will not be resting on his laurels.

"To be honest, I find all the dives very hard but the forward 4½ I consider my hardest. But I've been doing them a lot more consistently and doing them better," said Daley.

"It's difficult making sure I get that dive right and the others in (his tariff), too, and going into every competition trying to do the best I can."

Ever the realist, Daley said that while it is his goal to top the podium at the Olympics, he does not dream about medalling, just competing.

He said: "Obviously, it's my dream to win a gold medal, and that's any athlete's dream, isn't it?

"But whenever I dream about appearing at the Olympics, I'm just doing my dives, but I never see the scoreboard so I don't know where I'm going to end up.

"For me, it's all about doing everything I can beforehand to make sure I'm well prepared to compete at the Olympic Games."

Daley said his next event is the Olympics but that his schedule is showing no sign of relaxing.

"No, it's kind of scary knowing that the next competition I take part in will be at the Olympics," said Daley.

"It's all very busy for us. We're going to be training twice a day, five times a week.

"We (Team GB) all go to Majorca today for a training camp and then we go to the Olympic pre-camp on July 24, which is a complete lock-down and focused on preparing for the Games.

"That'll be at the Aquatics Centre and it will really be make or break time for me."