DUO SHRUG OFF INJURY TO QUALIFY MORE OLYMPIC DIVING SPOTS FOR AUSTRALIA

Divers Grant Nel and Brittany Broben have put their injury battles behind them to qualify two more spots for Australia at next year’s Rio Olympics.

Nel, who was warned by doctors earlier this year he might not walk again if he continued to dive, edged out Beijing platform gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham, to win the men’s 3-metre springboard at the Oceania Championships in Melbourne.

The lead changed on several occasions during the final, but neither diver was able to stamp their authority. Nel eventually won, 490 to Mitcham’s 482.30. New Zealand’s Liam Stone finished third.

And London silver medalist, Brittany Broben, put her long battle with shoulder problems behind her to win the women’s platform.

Broben went into the final as the second-ranked diver, after fellow Queenslander Emily Meaney finished on top in the semi-final.

But she was untroubled in the final, finishing with 364.70, with promising Western Australian diver tag Williamson second with 313.85.

The results mean Australia will now have two divers in the men’s springboard and the women’s platform, after James Connor and Melissa Wu secured quota spots when they made the finals at this year’s World Championships.

They already have two divers in the women’s 3-metre at next year’s Olympics, after both Esther Qin and Maddison Keeney made the Kazan final.

Australia will look to complete their individual quota list on Sunday in the men’s platform. Domonic Bedggood earned one spot at the World Championships.

The team has already earned a women’s springboard synchro quota, after Samantha Mills and Esther Qin won bronze in Kazan. They combined again to win the Oceania gold medal on Saturday, but finished less than one point ahead of fellow Australians, Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney.

Australia will look to claim the remaining synchro spots - the men’s and women’s platform, and the men’s 3-metre - at next year’s Rio World Cup.

The final Olympic team will be decided at next year’s Australian Championships in May.