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FINA World Junior Diving Championships - Preview

Published Fri 20 Jul 2018

Event Links

FINA Event Page - https://bit.ly/2uATxAU

Live Results -  https://bit.ly/2fZBhLm

Kiev2018 Competition Page - https://bit.ly/2O2jzGg

 

Overview

The Australian Junior Diving Team has arrived in the Ukrainian city of Kiev ahead of the 2018 FINA World Junior Diving Championships. The biennial event, which begins on Sunday with the Mixed Team Event, is the third in as many editions to be held in Eastern Europe following the 2016 and 2014 Championships in Kazan and Penza. This time around, the Australian squad of 15 strong will look to draw on the success of previous teams, many of which included divers who have gone on to win Olympic and Commonwealth Medals.

 

From Across the Country

With one of the largest teams in recent memory, the Australian Team includes members from five different states. Queensland boasts the most representatives with Alysha Koloi, Sophie Johnson, Mackenzie Bowell, Kiarra Milligan, Denby Milligan and Toby Cobb. Four from New South Wales were selected in Sam Fricker, Hamish Hutchinson, Lauren Flint and Vlad Rudenko. Divers Lachlan Cronin, AnnaRose Keating and Lizzie Browne are all based in Victoria, and South Australia and Western Australia each have one athlete on the team with Matt Carter and Nikita Hains respectively.

 

Last Time Around

Two years ago, at the World Junior Diving Championships, in Kazan, Russia, the Australian team took home three medals consisting of two bronze and one silver. Carter had a strong showing taking home two medals in each of his individual events, the boys Junior A 1m and Boys Junior A 3m, behind divers from China and Russia. The sole girls medal came from the synchro pairing of Georgia Sheehan and Jayah Mathews who claimed silver in the Girls 3m Synchro.

 

National Squad Leadership

The Diving Australia National Squad is well represented on this Junior Team with Carter, Keating and Koloi all present. These three athletes bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the team, made up of many divers who are on their first international trip. The trio brings with them experiences from World Championships, World Cup, Commonwealth Games, as well as several FINA Grand Prix medals.

 

New Event Shakeup

The long standing 3m Synchronized Event has featured at the World Junior Championships, however this year a new paired event will make its debut. The Platform Synchro event, which has been an Olympic staple since its inception at the 2000 Sydney Games will appear for the first time at the Championships and Australia will be well represented. The Australian pairings of Fricker and Hutchinson will strive for medals in the boy’s event with Hains and Keating performing in the girls. This will no doubt be an exciting event to watch.

 

Australian Team

A Group

Alysha Koloi (1m, 3m and 3m Synchro)
Sophie Johnson (1m and 3m Synchro)
Mackenzie Bowell (3m)
AnnaRose Keating (Platform and Platform Synchro)
Nikita Hains (Platform and Platform Synchro)

Matthew Carter (1m, 3m and 3m Synchro)
Lachlan Cronin (1m and 3m Synchro)
Sam Fricker (Platform and Platform Synchro)
Hamish Hutchinson (Platform and Platform Synchro)

B Group

Kiarra Milligan (1m)
Denby Milligan (1m and 3m)
Lauren Flint (3m)
Lizzie Browne (Platform)

Toby Cobb (1m, 3m and Platform)
Vlad Rudenko (1m and 3m)

 

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