Diving Australia is delighted to announce a team of 13 divers to represent Australia at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The team is headlined by four-time Olympian Melissa Wu who will join synchro partner Charli Petrov in the Women’s 10-Metre Platform Synchro. The FINA World Championships will be 14-year-old Petrov’s first major international event.

Joining Wu and Petrov in their international debut as a synchro pairing will be Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Dom Bedggood and Olympic Finalist Cassiel Rousseau taking part in the Men’s 10-Metre Synchro event.

The 2016 Olympic Bronze Medal winning team of Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith will once again represent the Green and Gold in the Women’s 3-Metre Synchro.

Australia will be represented by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Nikita Hains in the Women’s 10-Metre with Emily Boyd returning to the Australian Team in her first major international event since the 2013 FINA World Championships.

Cassiel Rousseau and fellow Olympian sensation Sam Fricker will compete in the Men’s 10-Metre as they did in Tokyo last year.

Rio 2016 Olympian Brittany O’Brien will take to the springboard for the first time in a major international competition and be joined by Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Georgia Sheehan in the Women’s 3-Metre.

Former World Champion Shixin Li will compete in both the Men’s 3-Metre and Men’s 1-Metre events with Olympic finalist Esther Qin and Georgia Sheehan competing in the Women’s 1-Metre.

Athletes selected in the Australian Team for the 2022 FINA World Championships may be called to fill vacancies in events.

The 2022 FINA World Championships will be held in Budapest from 17 June to 3 July with diving beginning on Sunday, 26 June at Duna Arena.

At the last FINA World Championships in 2019, the Australian Diving Team secured two medals. A gold in the Mixed 3-Metre Synchro from Maddison Keeney and Mathew Carter and a bronze in the Women’s 3-Metre Springboard from Maddison Keeney. Australia and China were the only two nations to secure gold medals in diving.

The Team at a Glance

• Total team members - 13
• Youngest member - Charli Petrov (14)
• Oldest member - Shixin Li (34)
• Number of Olympians – 10 (Bedggood, Wu, Smith, Keeney, Li, Hains, O’Brien, Fricker, Rousseau, Qin)
• Olympic medallists – 3 (Wu, Smith, Keeney)

Words from Diving Australia General Manager High Performance and Pathways Steve Foley

“Alongside the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the FINA World Championships is a pinnacle event on the diving calendar for not only Diving Australia, but every national diving federation.

“This group of athletes have displayed over the past four days in Victoria at the 2022 Australian Open Championships that they have what it takes to compete against the very best in the world.”

“I have full confidence that they will show the same grit and determination that so many Australian Diving Teams have shown before them.

“This team contains a great mix of youth and experience, and I that that balance will prove invaluable in Budapest.”

Words from Dom Bedggood

“Last year was the toughest of my diving career, I was struggling with my mental wellness and thought that I was ready to step away from the sport. 

“To be back competing and on the World Championship Team is something I couldn’t have done without the support of my family and friends. I owe it to them.”

Words from Maddison Keeney

“I'm so happy to be part of this year's team with Belle after a rough few years with covid. 

“I'm really excited to get back out on the competition scene and go up against the best in the world again.

“Last time we were in Budapest in 2017 for the same event I had some really great performances in my competitions. This time around I hope to build on that.”

Words from Sam Fricker

"I’m absolutely thrilled I rode a personal best dive all the way to a silver medal and now all the way to the Worlds team in the individual 10-Metre competition today.

"After a tough week of competition and determination, I’m very excited to represent Australia. 

"My coaches and I worked really hard to make it happen so I just want to give a huge thanks to my coach Joel Rodrigues and the NSWIS team and of course Diving Australia for all their support."

Words from Brittany O’Brien

“I honestly just can’t believe that I’ve made this World Championships Team alongside such a well-established group of divers. 

“It has been 2 of the hardest years in my diving career as I transitioned from platform to springboard, so to come away with this result was something I wasn’t expecting. 

“Both my performance in Melbourne, and this team announcement, makes me motivated and excited for what lies ahead.” 

2022 FINA World Championships Team