Team England medal hopeful Matty Lee has caused a stir among his fellow divers with an unusual show of patriotism.

Lee, the Olympic 10m synchronised diving champion alongside Tom Daley, has revealed he has shaved the flag of St George into his stomach hair.

The 24-year-old will shave it off prior to taking to the board alongside Noah Williams in Birmingham, but his antics have not gone unnoticed.

"We take it [diving] very seriously because it's a difficult sport," Lee said.

"You've got to be totally focused, so it's nice to bring a bit of fun into it because you don't really see us having much of a personality, you just see someone focused on a board."

Lee's team-mate Jack Laugher, said: "I loved it. I was jealous. I can't grow stomach hair, or I would have done the same thing. 

"He's going to shave it off for competition as obviously you want to try and look professional. It's a bit wonky but he's done a good job."

And it was not just the England team who had an eye on Lee's handiwork.

I loved it. I was jealous. I can't grow stomach hair, or I would have done the same thing
Jack Laugher

Jamaica's Yona Knight-Wisdom, who grew up in Leeds, added: "It's taken flagbearing to a whole different level!"

Away from the fun, Laugher arrives in Birmingham with a serious mission to defend the clean sweep of springboard medals he won at Gold Coast 2018.

Laugher is one of England’s most successful athletes at the Commonwealth Games with five gold medals to his name – having won two from Glasgow, four years previously.

He also has a poignant reason for wanting to shine in Birmingham.

The 27-year-old’s late grandmother, Bernice, lived her whole life in nearby Dudley, giving Laugher extra incentive to impress.

He explained: “I want to bring it home for my grandma, who unfortunately passed away just a couple of months ago. She lived her whole life in Dudley, so she’s very local.

“It’s been a very emotional time for everybody.

"Because of Covid I missed her funeral, it was very difficult knowing that and dealing with that but I think she followed my career so closely and she was so charming in everything that I’ve done.

“Going back to her home recently, seeing all the photographs of all my achievements of when I was 15 in Delhi…the pictures were up there.

“When I got my MBE from Prince Charles, she was super proud of me and I’m sure she would want me to do well, so I would like to do this for my grandma.”