Diving Australia has today announced that Wang Tong Xiang, universally known as Mr Wang, will be retiring later this year.

A Life Member of Diving Australia, Mr Wang has been a critical part of Australian Diving since he first arrived in Australia in 1990 from his native country, China, where he had been a National Team Coach.

It is fair to say that he revolutionised Australian diving, bringing a level of training intensity that was responsible for levels of success not seen before. He had a significant impact on the careers of athletes such as Chantelle Newbery (Olympic Gold Medallist), Mathew Helm (Olympic Silver Medallist), Michael Murphy (Dual Olympian), Vyninka Arlow (Dual Olympian), and countless others.

During his time in Australia he fulfilled many roles including AIS Senior Coach, Victorian Institute of Sport Head Coach and Queensland Academy of Sport Head Coach. For the last five years, Mr Wang has been doing a fantastic job as an Elite Pathway Coach in Brisbane, laying the foundations for the stars of tomorrow.

Diving Australia Chairman (and one of Mr Wang’s favourites) Michael Murphy said “Mr Wang has left a lasting legacy on Australian Diving. The introduction of a new, world leading, training regime back in the early 1990s changed the trajectory of Diving Australia’s success, and we are still benefiting from his vision nearly 30 years on. On a personal note, I have deep and enduring respect for Mr Wang, and owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for introducing a new way of thinking about what is possible in diving and in life. On behalf of Diving Australia, I wish him all the very best in the future and sincerely thank him for all that he has done”.

Mr Wang will continue to coach his current squad through to the Australian Elite Junior Championships in June, following which he will assist other coaches through to his official retirement in late September.