News
O’BRIEN WAKES TO BEST NEWS – SHE’S OFF TO RIO
Published Sun 31 Jul 2016
No teenager likes to be woken up by her parents, but 18-year-old Brittany O’Brien was prepared to cut her dad some slack early on Sunday morning.
After all, he’d just burst in to tell his daughter she was off to Rio with the Australian diving team.
The Sydney diver had gone to bed on Saturday night knowing there was a chance it could happen, after the disappointing news on Friday that London silver medallist Brittany Broben had succumbed to a troublesome shoulder injury.
“I was actually asleep, my dad came in and woke me up with the news,” O’Brien said.
“I was still half asleep, so it took a few minutes to process. But once I realised what was happening I was obviously so excited and overwhelmed.”
As of mid-Sunday morning O’Brien still did not know when and how she was getting to Brazil. Her Sydney-based teammates were all flying out that morning, and the scramble was on to find their latest squad member a seat.
“I haven’t panicked yet,” she said.
“At this stage I don’t even know when I fly out, but I feel fairly calm considering the circumstances.”
O’Brien will compete in the 10-metre platform in Rio, alongside two-time Olympian Melissa Wu. She finished 12th at the last Junior World Championships and fourth at two recent World Grand Prix events.
She finished second at the Australian Olympic trials, and even though she didn’t make the initial team, with Broben under an injury cloud there was always a chance of a late call-up.
“I knew there was a possibility, so I did keep training hard because anything can happen,” O’Brien said.
“But I wasn’t expecting anything as Britt (Broben) was training well and working hard, so I was just trying to support her.
“Personally I am so honoured and grateful to have made his team. It’s going to be an amazing learning experience, and I know I will grow so much, not only as a person.
“I’m just so glad my hard work has led to this moment and I’ll cherish it forever.”
The women’s platform competition begins on August 17.