Australian diving stalwarts Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney have claimed a silver medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships overnight in the Women’s 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised event. 

The Commonwealth Games gold medal pair finished the event with 300.45 points, behind the Chinese team of Chang and Chen with 22.98 points separating the two teams. 

Smith and Keeney’s result secures a second Paris 2024 quota spot for the Australian team at the World Championships, after Melissa Wu’s top 12 finish in the Women’s 10-Metre Platform event also earning a quota spot.

Following the competition, 31-year-old Smith said the result was the first for the pair, who have been competing together for over ten years. 

“It feels amazing, I don’t think we have ever won silver before, so we are really happy,” Smith said. 

“Our hard work is really paying off, Maddie and I have been diving together for ten years now so we definitely have grown throughout that period.

“I think at the start of any team performance we are getting to know each other and what works well for one person and the next person, so now we are pretty comfortable, and we have known each other for so long. It’s a really nice feeling to have that much experience behind us,” she said.

Keeney echoed her partner’s sentiments, the 27-year-old said “We have been through so much together and grown up as individual people now.”

“I don’t want anyone else to be by my side, so we are very lucky,” she said. 

Attention now turns to Cassiel Rousseau and Dominic Beddgood who will look to achieve another Paris 2024 quota spot in tonight’s Men’s 10-Metre Platform Synchronised event with a top four finish. 

The World Aquatics Championships 2024 are on in Doha from 2-11 February 2024. 
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Find the schedule and follow live results at the World Aquatics website.
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