'Scalped' British diver came close to death

The husband of British Olympic diver Monique Gladding has revealed that he feared his wife had been killed when she struck her head on a concrete diving platform in a terrifying accident in Russia. Steve Gladding, who was at the World Cup meeting, watched helpless as his wife, a medal hopeful for next year's London Olympics, smashed into the 18in-thick platform while coming out of the first somersault in the 10m synchronised competition.

Monique, 29, was knocked unconscious and, while her 16-year-old dive partner Megan Sylvester completed the routine, Gladding's apparently lifeless body plunged into the pool and disappeared beneath the surface. While a stunned Sylvester looked in vain for her partner, another British diver, Nick Robinson-Baker, jumped fully clothed into the water, followed by Steve Gladding and Russian coach Sergei Kutsmanov.



Robinson-Baker dived to the bottom of the pool to retrieve Monique, whose unconscious body had been below water for almost 20 seconds. She was still unconscious as she was dragged from the pool by Robinson-Baker, Kutsmanov and a woman member of the British party.

For several minutes, frantic officials tried to help Monique as blood from her injuries coloured the poolside. Steve Gladding says they were the most dreadful minutes of his life because, at that point, he feared his wife might be dead. Back home with Monique in Sheffield but still understandably shaken by the experience, Gladding said: 'For some inexplicable, freak reason, Monique took off incorrectly and that led to her hitting her head and being knocked unconscious.'

With more images and link to video of the incident.