Tom Daley sets sights on Olympic glory after Commonwealth Games gold

13 April 2012

Tom Daley put an injury-ravaged season behind him to dive to gold in the men's 10metres synchro final with England team-mate Max Brick.

The 16-year-old showed no ill effects of the tricep injury he picked up while trying to defend his European title in Budapest in August as he paired up with Brick, 18, earlier today.

The teen duo were only 11.52 points ahead of Australian pairing Matthew Mitcham, Daley's main rival for gold in tomorrow's individual platform final, and Ethan Warren going into the final round.

However, the English duo pulled further ahead with their final dive to edge their previous personal best by 22 points.

Afterwards Daley said: "I am very happy that a lot of hard work has paid off. It's been a tough year with injuries and I've had so much physio that for it to pay off here is fantastic.

"We did one of the hardest dives on our list but we pulled it off today and we got a massive personal best as well. We wanted to come here and do well and to get the gold was the icing on the cake for us."

Brick and Daley are in their infancy as a diving pair and Daley suggested they could yet become genuine medal contenders for the Olympics in London in two years' time.

"We could really become a strong synchro team in 2012," added Daley. "If we work hard and train hard, we could become a real force to be reckoned with."

The other early gold on day nine in Delhi went to Scottish shooter Jen McIntosh. A day after winning gold in the women's 50m prone rifle pairs, she won the individual title and smashed the Commonwealth Games record, which had stood for 12 years, while Welsh shooter Johanne Brekke won a bronze medal.

"I'm lost for words," said McIntosh, who is coached by her father and admitted that she almost suffered a panic attack in the latter stages of the event. "My heart rate was very fast and I have no idea how I managed it."

Also in the shooting, England's Mick Gault picked up his 17th Commonwealth medal with bronze in the men's 10m air pistol pairs, which leaves him just one shy of Australian Phillip Adams' Games record. Nicknamed "Gault finger" by the Indian media, the 56-year-old has a chance to equal that record in his final event of what is his final Games tomorrow in the men's 25m standard pistol singles final.

Looking ahead to that, he said: "I will do my best. I have prepared hard for these Commonwealth Games. Adrenalin is my only enemy."

In the squash, England pair Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro upset No1 seeds Kasey Brown and Donna Urquhart to reach the final of the women's doubles and give them a shot at gold tomorrow.

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