SOUTHAMPTON-BASED Olympic and Commonwealth diver Peter Waterfield has achieved the highest individual place at a World Championships by a British diver ever this month (July, 2009).

The 28-year-old came fourth in the Men’s Individual one metre springboard event at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome last Friday (July 17).

Peter, who won the first medal for Great Britain at the 2004 Olympics, explained: “This was my first competition since the Beijing Olympics, as I had an operation on my shoulder in November.

“I am delighted with my result and am very happy to know that I can still compete with the other top divers in the world.”

The World Aquatics Championships are hosted by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA). The event was first held in 1973 and takes place every two years.

Peter performed well in the preliminary rounds of the competition and secured his place in the final with a score of 365.80. His final score of 432.60 was also his personal best by 32 points.

He added: “I was unsure of how well I would perform after my operation and my success has given me great confidence.”