BY Daily Mail

The team went out for 12 days, we trained twice a day as we would back home, but just did one or two of each dive rather than three, so with less volume we were ready for the comp and familiar with a different pool.

We trained three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening, echoing when the dive comps would be.

In between I rest, well I say rest, I did my Spanish, IT and maths homework every day, so I'm not behind when I get back to school. It's quite hard to keep in touch with my friends when I'm away as my phone bill gets massive — I should be sponsored by BT!

I was up for two competitions — the men's 10m synchro and the individual 10m platform.

The synchro was the first which we dived on Easter Sunday. With my dive partner, Blake Aldridge, I always thought this would be my chance of a medal, not the individual.

Sadly, it wasn't to be and we came sixth. We were gutted but we're not robots and I just have to remember that.

So I took all this anger and disappointment and tried to turn it around for the next day's individual. We were back late to the hotel because after the comp we had to do drug tests. I don't suffer stage fright so I was quick, but it was still late and then up early for the individual.

During a competition, I like to go into my own little bubble.

It can get really fierce round the poolside and I don't want to know about how others are doing, or else it plays on my mind.

So I plug into my iPod and listen to all my dance/upbeat tracks, especially R Kelly's World's Greatest and Heather Small's Proud — I really like that one and it's the Olympic song. I don't have any sad songs on my iPod as that would just be stupid for me!

During the comp I knew I was diving well and might get a medal but then I missed my third dive and had to really focus.

After my last dive I stood with my coaches, knowing that the final diver only had to get 8.5s to win. I watched him dive and thought he'd done well.

But then I saw his scores come in and it began to dawn on me that he hadn't got enough 8.5s to win. I started jumping up and down and going mad — I couldn't believe that I'd won.

I just hadn't even thought about it being possible, let alone being the youngest European champion!

Afterwards, we had a really cool party in a nightclub, which I was allowed to go to even though I'm only 13. The next day it was into the car and home with my family. My two little brothers had come to watch and they said well done, but they tell everyone else I'm rubbish at diving!

What's next? Well I have to do lots of interviews and TV work and yesterday I appeared on ITV's This Morning programme with my dad, Robert. Before that, I was also invited on to the BBC's Breakfast programme.

I don't mind being on TV, it doesn't worry me or make me nervous. I've had the chance to do quite a lot recently and I suppose I get used to it. I enjoy it.

While we are in London we're going to see the Eagles in concert.

Visa, one of my sponsors, gave us tickets as they know that they're my dad's favourite band after Elvis — but that concert isn't gonna happen! I go home to Plymouth at the end of the week.

Since I've been away Dad's redecorated the house so I won't even recognise my own bedroom and I know I've got a new box of kit from adidas to rummage through.

I have also been asked to present an award at the BAFTAs, which is really cool.

But the rest of the time is training for the World Series in Mexico, where we get police escorts everywhere.

I'm looking forward to the following World Series event in Sheffield in May, too, in front of a home crowd.

As for this year's Olympics, I don't want people to expect me to medal.

It's my first major Games and I'm going for the experience and to mingle with the other athletes and take it all in. I'm saving everything for 2012, but this has to be a step in the right direction!

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