GOLD COAST TO HOST BEST DIVERS IN THE WORLD

Australia has selected a team full of Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth Games medalists to compete at this month’s FINA Diving Grand Prix on the Gold Coast.

Among the names set to make a splash at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre will be 2008 Beijing gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham, silver medalist and current team captain, Melissa Wu, and 2012 London silver medalist and home-town favourite, Brittany Broben.

Add to the list world championship and Commonwealth Games medalists Melissa Wu, Esther Qin, Samantha Mills, Maddison Keeney, Domonic Bedggood and Grant Nel, and you have the ingredients for a world-class event.

The Australians will need to be at their very best, with strong international teams from Asia, North America and Europe all competing.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said hosting the event was both a natural fit and a wonderful opportunity for the Gold Coast.

“The FINA Grand Prix Series is the perfect start to international diving at our world-class Gold Coast Aquatic Centre as we count down towards the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“It’s also a great chance to show off the facility and the capacity of our city to host sporting events of this calibre to the rest of the world.

“I am thrilled to be welcoming some of the world’s best divers to our city and know they’ll love their time here.”

Diving Australia CEO, David Bell, said competition is expected to be of the highest level during the Grand Prix.

“As well as the cream of Australian diving, there will also be world-class divers from Germany, Malaysia, Canada and the United States, and of course China will always be the team to catch,” he said.

“It’s also going to be exciting competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games venue. Many of these divers, especially from Malaysia and Canada, will be hoping to be back here for that big occasion.

“It truly is an outstanding arena, and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Gold Coast.”

The FINA Grand Prix begins on Thursday, October 29, and runs through until Sunday, November 1.