BEDGGOOD READY TO MOVE OUT OF SHADOWS

Gold Coast diver Domonic Bedggood is hoping his bronze medal at the FINA Mexico Grand Prix will finally move him out of the shadow of Matthew Mitcham.

Not for one moment does Bedggood want to play down his role in the gold medal he and Mitcham won in the platform synchro at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

And he points out he’s looking forward to diving with Mitcham again later this month at the World Championship selection trials.

But the 20-year-old wants the rest of the world to start noticing him as an individual diver as well.

“It’s good to get my name out there in the diving world, especially with the Olympics coming up next year,” he said from Leon, Mexico.

“I don’t always want to be known as Matthew Mitcham’s partner that helped him win gold.”

Bedggood finished third behind divers from Mexico and China in the platform final, but even though he was happy to finish on the podium, he believed he should have done better.

“I went over a bit on my third dive, and my arm stands were not as good as usual,” he said.

“My preliminary was good, but my semi not so good. Luckily I was able to scrape into the final.

Hopefully I can work on these things ahead of Canada next week.”

Bedggood and the rest of the Australian team, including 3-metre synchro silver medalists Esther Qin and Samantha Mills, only arrived in Mexico from Australia a day before competition began.

They’ll have better preparation before next weekend’s Grand Prix in Canada, with Bedggood for one already eying off improvement.

He’ll get a chance in Gatineau to work on his synchro skills, teaming up with US-based Victorian and 2012 Olympian, James Connor.

Connor is also expected to compete in the 3-metre synchro with fellow Victorian, Grant Nel, as well as the individual platform and springboard events.