DIVER Trevor Simpson used mind over matter to help secure three gold medals at the European Masters.

The 62-year-old diver from Langdon Hills visualised each dive before completing it at the championships in Holland.

And it helped compensate for a lack of training as the Olympian took top spot in the 1m and 3m springboard events and the 10m platform competition.

“I was as nervous as hell but when I was on the end of the board I could visualise every single dive bar one and knew it was going to be OK,” said Simpson, who competed at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.

“The only one where that didn’t happen was on the high board which was a one and a half times forward somersault with a twist.

“The problem is that since I ruptured my Achilles tendon I cannot jump very high and you need to for that dive.

“Fortunately I was able to convince the judges that I had done enough.”

Simpson started his campaign in Eindhoven by finishing 65 points clear of the field in the 3m springboard event in the 60-64 years category.

The Southend Diving member followed it up with victory by 35 points in the 1m springboard before completing his hat-trick of golds by finishing 11 points ahead in the 10m platform competition.

Simpson, who also competed for GB at two Commonwealth Games, went into the event aiming to finish on the podium but was delighted to rule the roost as he had not been able to train as much as some of his rivals.

“It was marvellous and a strange feeling to get the three wins,” added Simpson, who works for Ford at Dunton. “It’s been a long time since I felt like that but it was a very good competition all round.

“I had not been able to train as much as I would have liked but I was pleased with the gym work I did with Tommy Armstrong at Club Kingswood.”

Simpson worked out at the Basildon gym four or five times a week, working on weights, cardio-vascular and agility. He is now planning on building up the muscles in his left leg because he was in plaster for six months following his Achilles injury two years ago to be in better shape for next year’s world masters championship in Montreal.