It was a spectacular first day of competition as the 2022 Australian Diving Age Championships got underway today at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre (SAALC) in Adelaide, after the Opening Ceremony and the State Team Challenge kicked off the proceedings yesterday.

In a fantastic atmosphere, with the SAALC close to a full house for most of the day - and even more diving fans following the event through Diving Australia’s Facebook page livestream - athletes across multiple age categories from the 11 and Under to the 50 plus produced some impressive performances.

Victorian divers made a mark in the Girls 16/18 Platform category, sweeping the podium with Evie English and Mia Bagiartakis placed second and third respectively behind winner Ashlee Arendse.

In the Women’s 19-24 3m event it was local diver Lacey Bowshire who put her state on top of the podium, after a tight competition saw the young South Australian prevail on Madison Moore (VIC) by just .65 of a point, with Western Australia’s Sally Cream coming in third.

“Everyone had a great time today and we witnessed some great diving, too,” commented Diving Australia CEO David Bell, congratulating all participants for their performances.

“This is the biggest and arguably most important event of the year for our sport and it’s a fantastic opportunity to get the diving community together alongside these grassroots athletes and their families,” he said.

Bell also acknowledged one diver in particular, praising Victorian veteran Rohan Blake for yet another success in the Men’s 50+ 3m event.

“He’s won so many Championships titles that we’ve actually lost count,” joked Bell. “Rohan’s passion for diving and his dedication to the sport are amazing to see and they set such a great example for all the young athletes who are competing in Adelaide this week.”

At the other end of the age spectrum, Bell was also impressed by Austin Hughes, as the young Queenslander won the Boys 11 and Under 1m event in convincing fashion.

“Finally, I would like to congratulate NSW for their display in the Girls 13 and Under 3m Synchro event,” Bell said.

Even though the title went to Queensland thanks to the performance of Annie Myburgh and Jasmin Visser, New South Wales had six pairs competing and managed to take silver with Hannah Moodie and Kyah Chalmers. “To see so many NSW athletes participating in that event was absolutely amazing,” Bell said.

Tomorrow’s program starts at 9.30am (local time) with the 11/U Boys 3m event, the first of nine competitions scheduled for the day. All the action from the 2022 Australian Age Championships will once again be live streamed via the official Diving Australia Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DivingAus/, with all results also available at https://www.diverecorder.co.uk/live/index.php.

📸 | Mel Faull / Get Snapt