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FINA World Junior Diving Championships â€“ Recap

Published Mon 30 Jul 2018

Event Links

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

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

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

Overview

The 2018 FINA World Junior Diving Championships wrapped up in Kiev with the Australian team bringing home a mixed bag of results, including three medals against the top international junior divers. Diving Australia CEO, David Bell, said the event marks an important steppingstone in the growth of developing athletes. “The future of Australian Diving is in good hands. We have been measured against the best junior talent in the world and are right up there. Of course there is work to be done, but I know our young athletes and coaches are right to the challenge,” David said.

Team Event

Team Australia started off their World Junior Championships campaign on a high point. The lineup of Alysha Koloi, Matt Carter, Sam Fricker and Lauren Flint aligned to secure the bronze medal in the Mixed Team Event. The squad, who each performed one individual dive and collectively one synchronized dive, finished narrowly behind the teams from Great Britain and China. Their list was highlighted by Carter’s double-out (5154B) and Fricker’s inward three-and-a-half (407C), both of which scored amongst the highest of the event.

Carter Goes Big

Commonwealth Games Medalist Matt Carter had an impressive competition taking home medals as part of the Team Event and as an individual in the Boys A 1m. The South Australian also had an impressive performance in the Boys A 3m event in which he competed the hardest list by an Australian in the history of the Championships. Carters list, which resulted in a 5^th place finish, and included a front four-and-a-half somersaults (109C) with a triple-out (5156B), and a dive that was attempted by no other competitor in the event.

Koloi Takes Bronze

Alysha Koloi of Queensland continued a long tradition of Australian girls claiming medals in springboard events at a World Junior Championships. Sitting in 4^th position after her penultimate dive, Koloi nailed her final dive, a full-out (5152B) to jump ahead of the Russian diver and onto the podium. The achievement marked Australia’s and Koloi’s second medal of the Championships.

Junior A Consistency

The next generation of Australia’s open divers showed their consistency with an impressive performance of placing an Australian in all but one individual Junior A final. In the girls events Alysha Koloi placed top five with both of her springboard lists, as did Nikita Hains in in her platform competition. Matt Carter was the sole male representative in individual finals, finishing high in the Junior A Boys 3m and 1m.

Flint Finals

Lauren Flint staggered early in her Girls B 3m prelims, but regained composure during her final two dives to punch her ticket into the finals. Flint then rallied, climbing to a 7^th place finished in a strong field with a consistent list of dives. Flint’s efforts marked highest place finish for any Australian Junior B diver.

Australian Results

Mixed Team Event

Koloi, Carter, Fricker & Flint – 3^rd – 304.50

Girls 3m Synchro

Koloi & Johnson – 10^th – 234.30

Boys 3m Synchro

Carter & Cronin – 13^th – 250.89

Girls Platform Synchro

Hains & Keating – 5^th – 250.92

Boys Platform Synchro

Fricker & Hutchinson – 13^th – 230.46

Girls A 1m