This post was updated July 23 at 6:33 p.m.
Eden Cheng is golden.
UCLA swim and dive’s rising sophomore diver competed in the European Games on June 22 and 23 in Rzeszów, Poland, for Team Great Britain. Cheng competed in both the 10-meter platform event and the mixed team event with diving partners Robbie Lee, Desharne Bent-Ashmeil and Ben Cutmore.
Cheng emerged victorious in her individual 10-meter performance with a final score of 331.60. Her win secured Great Britain an unnamed quota position for the event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Cheng said her sights were always set on securing a spot for Great Britain at the Games.
“I knew that a lot was at stake,” Cheng said. “I wasn’t really gunning to be the European champion, I was more gunning for that spot. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be on the (Great Britain) team.”
In the mixed team event, Cheng and her partners showcased their diving skills, placing seventh overall. Cheng had competed in the 10-meter synchronized diving event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so the synchronized element of this team event was nothing new to her.
Cheng said she was originally not supposed to compete in this event at the European Games, but she stepped up when her teammate fell ill.
“I wasn’t expecting anything, but it was fun,” Cheng said. “I got to soak in what it would feel like for the event coming the next day, which was obviously the most important one.”
According to UCLA diving coach Tom Stebbins, Cheng has shown continuous growth throughout the collegiate season, and she ultimately finished the year with a 15th place finish at the NCAA championships. With Stebbins supporting her throughout the summer as well as during the school year, Cheng then beat that record at the European Games with her platform performance.
Stebbins said Cheng’s discipline has led to her success in diving.
“As the year went on, her growth happened and things started to change and she started to feel really good about where she was at,” Stebbins said. “She started to see some progress, change and improvement.”
Cheng is no stranger to elite international competition. Prior to her freshman year, Cheng competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she placed seventh in the 10-meter synchronized diving event with Lois Toulson.
However, Cheng recognized a difference between competing for Great Britain and competing for UCLA.
“When I am competing for UCLA, swim and dive is very together and cohesive,” Cheng said. “It feels like you are competing more for your team rather than yourself. … In this competition, I did somewhat bring out the inner UCLA culture because what I was trying to do was for the British diving team, to get that quota spot.”
International and collegiate competitions also differ in their format. International competitions often have diving events spread out over the course of many days. At the collegiate level, dual meets usually include two diving events – the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard – within a few hours of one another.
Stebbins said the quick pace at the collegiate level prepares divers well to compete on the international stage.
“When we have all this collegiate competition, it just really allows them to refine that craft of actually competing,” Stebbins said. “There are so many different formats, and there are so many different requirements collegiately, it really allows them to be forced to adjust and adapt to things at a much higher and quicker level.”
With no upcoming international events, Cheng is spending her off season taking summer classes and preparing to return to Westwood.
“The European Games was the finish for me this season,” Cheng said. “It was a very nice way to end. Now, I am just resting and recovering.”
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