New and familiar faces make up The Australian Diving Team that has been named ahead of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar following a four-day Diving Australia trial event held in Brisbane. 

With the team yet to qualify Olympic quota positions in the four synchronised events, and two individual quotas still available, the World Aquatics Championships is a significant stop on the road to Paris for Australia’s diving team. 

World champion Cassiel Rousseau (QLD) will defend the title he won in the Men’s 10-Metre Platform in July at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, and will also compete alongside Olympian Domonic Bedggood (VIC) in the Men’s 10-Metre Synchronised.

17-year-old Jaxon Bowshire (SA) will also compete in the Men’s 10-Metre Platform and is one of three athletes named to their first senior team for a World Aquatics Championships.

Fellow debutants include Alysha Koloi (QLD) who finished second behind Olympian Maddison Keeney (WA) in the Women’s 3-Metre Springboard, and Kurtis Mathews (NSW) who will partner Tokyo Olympian Sam Fricker (NSW) in the Men’s 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised.

Mathews will also compete in the Men’s 3-Metre Springboard alongside Tokyo Olympian Shixin Li (SA) who was a convincing winner of this event.

Keeney is lining up in the Women’s 3-Metre Synchronised, reuniting with her Rio 2016 bronze medal diving partner Anabelle Smith (VIC).

Competing as an individual for the first time since the Tokyo Olympic Games where she won a bronze medal, Melissa Wu (NSW) finished second behind Olympian Nikita Hains (WA) to secure one of the two positions in the Women’s 10-Metre Platform.

Wu has also been named in the Women’s 10-Metre Synchronised alongside her Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal diving partner Charli Petrov (VIC) who did not compete at the trials due to injury but has been selected on the team through a special consideration clause in the Diving Australia selection policy.

Wu said she was pleased to have achieved her goal of selection, but admitted she has more to give.

“Overall, this was not my best competition, I have a lot of things to work on which I will go home and work really hard on,” Wu said.

"I think it was a good chance to have a hit out, I haven't competed in individual for a couple of years so it’s good to be back out there.  

"It definitely was a goal of mine this comp to qualify for Doha. I'm feeling pretty good about it. 

"I've got time now to work on what I need to and hopefully come in really strong for Doha and secure those quota spots for Australia," she said.

The Women’s 10-Metre Platform attracted the most entries at these trials and the standings amongst the top five changed regularly and right up until the final round.

"It's great to come to competitions like this and having so many athletes, especially in my event is great to see,” Wu said.

"A lot of them are girls I have watched grow up and I've seen them coming up through the ranks. To have them pushing me and pushing the rest of us is really cool,” she said.

The team also includes Rio Olympian Brittany O’Brien (NSW) who will compete in the non-Olympic discipline of the 1-Metre Springboard alongside Alysha Koloi, with Kurtis Mathews and Shixin Li to take part in the Men’s event.

AUSTRALIAN DIVING TEAM, 2024 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN:

Shixin Li – 1-Metre & 3-Metre Springboard

Kurtis Mathews – 1-Metre Springboard, 3-Metre Springboard & 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised

Sam Fricker – 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised

Cassiel Rousseau – 10-Metre Platform & 10-Metre Platform Synchronised

Domonic Bedggood – 10-Metre Platform Synchronised

Jaxon Bowshire – 10-Metre Platform

WOMEN:

Maddison Keeney – 3-Metre Springboard & 3m Springboard Synchro

Anabelle Smith – 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised

Alysha Koloi – 1-Metre & 3-Metre Springboard

Nikita Hains – 10-Metre Platform

Melissa Wu – 10-Metre & 10-Metre Synchronised

Charli Petrov* – 10-Metre Synchronised

Brittany O’Brien – 1-Metre Springboard

*Petrov will need to pass a fitness test prior to competition. 

Australia's Olympic quotas in Diving, explained...

Australia will aim to qualify synchronised teams in the Men's and Women's 3-Metre Springboard events and Men's and Women's Platform events. Australia is still eligible to qualify one position in the Women's 10-Metre Platform and one position in the Men's 3-Metre Springboard. 

From results achieved at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships and 2023 Oceania Championships, Australia has qualified quotas by country in the Women's 3-Metre Springboard (x2), Men's 10-Metre Platform (x2), Women's 3-Metre Springboard (x1) and Men's 3-Metre Springboard (x1).