The 2023 World Aquatics Championships are underway in Fukuoka, Japan, and there were three Australian athletes in action on Friday, Day 1.  

Georgia Sheehan booked a place in the Final of the Women’s 1-Metre Springboard after she finished equal sixth in the preliminaries, while Shixin Li, a former World Aquatics Champion in the 1-Metre Springboard (2011 & 2013) is also through to the Final of the Men’s event.    

Sheehan, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, accumulated a total score of 242.25 and she will compete in her third 1-Metre Springboard Final at a World Aquatics Championships.

Sheehan said she has more to give when the Final gets underway on Saturday.

“It’s really comforting when you qualify, and you know there’s so much more in the performance,” Sheehan said.

“I know there’s a lot more in the tank, there’s a lot tidier finishes we can get on the bottom,” she said.

With a host of events on her schedule, including the Women’s 3-Metre Springboard and 3-Metre Springboard Synchro, Sheehan will prioritise recovery and has no plans to set expectations.  

“I don’t like to go in with set expectations,” Sheehan said. “Personally, for me as an athlete it can distract me from putting in a good performance.

“I think this year there’s a lot of opportunity. I think China are obviously going one and two, but there’s a lot of chance, not just for me but for all the other girls to be striving for that bronze medal,” she concluded.

Fellow Aussie Brittany O’Brien was also in action in the Women’s 1-Metre Springboard and finished out of the top 12, with a total score of 221.45 points.

In the Men’s 1-Metre Springboard, Shixin Li will be aiming for consecutive medals at a World Aquatics Championships, after he finished the preliminaries in fourth position out of a field of 63.  Li was 0.4 points behind the third placed diver, Jordan Christopher Houlden of Great Britain. 

The 2022 bronze medalist scored 374.50 to book his place in the final.  

Before Sunday's FInal, Li will team with Sam Fricker in the Men’s 3-Metre Synchronised Springboard on Saturday. All Finals will be available to view on 9Now.  

Meantime, Lauren Flint has withdrawn from competition after sustaining an injury. It means Australia will no longer field a team in the Mixed and Women’s 10-Metre Synchro events.

Full results are available on the World Aquatics website.