Baildon’s Sam Thornton insists 2012 can be the year he competes on a level playing field with the likes of diving sensation Tom Daley – and he’s out to prove it next weekend.

The 14-year-old Bradford Esprit Diving Club member will begin this year in earnest at the British Gas National Cup, where London 2012 gold-medal candidate Daley will also be taking to the high boards.

By his own admission, in previous years Thornton has been more of a wide-eyed autograph hunter at the national event rather than a realistic contender.

However, with the confidence of a European Junior Championship bronze medal to his name from 2011 Thornton is ready to mix it with the big boys in Southend.

“This year is set to start with a bang as I have my first big competition in Southend,” said Thornton – one of Kellogg’s’ Champions of Tomorrow.

“I have done it the last two years and it is always a bit more of a learning curve than a competition where you concentrate on the results.

“But this year is hopefully going to be different and this is the year that I am going to go there with high hopes of doing well and finishing higher than ever before.

“I am going there looking to get personal bests on all the boards and even though I will be one of the youngest I am looking to make the platform final.

“I will be up against the likes of senior British divers like Tom Daley, Pete Waterfield and Nick Robinson-Baker so it will be tough but I am going to give it my best shot.”

While it is domestic issues that dominate his early 2012 plans, it won’t be long before the Woodhouse Grove pupil turns his attentions to further international jet-setting.

Thornton is itching to add success on the world junior stage to his European medal win last year and added: “My big aim for the season is to make the European Junior Championships in Austria and to do that I have to do well at the British Gas Elite Junior Championships in April and then medal at an event in Dresden.

“After that there are the worlds in Australia but I have to medal at the Europeans to be considered for that so I have to take it step by step.

“It is going to be a long year but I am up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get going.”

* To celebrate 15 years of support for British swimming, Kellogg’s is offering a ‘Free Kids Swim’ on 30 million packs of cereal to encourage families to take the plunge together. Collect a voucher on pack and take it down to your local participating pool. For more information, visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/freeswim