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THIRD OLYMPICS BECKONS FOR DIVER MELISSA WU
Published Sat 28 May 2016
Two time Olympian Melissa Wu looks set to go to her third Olympics after a dramatic day of diving at the Rio qualification tournament in Melbourne.
Wu dominated all three rounds of the 10-metre platform competition, posting comfortable wins and meeting all the criteria required to earn nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee.
But there was drama elsewhere, with Olympic silver medallist Brittany Broben forced to withdraw from the platform final after just two dives with a shoulder injury.
The 20-year-old has asked selectors to consider ‘extenuating circumstances’ before ruling her out of Olympic selection.
Selectors will also have a tough task deciding who will represent Australia in the men’s springboard, with 2012 Olympian, James Connor, 2014 Commonwealth Games medallist Grant Nel, and recently naturalised Australian, Kevin Chavez, all in the mix.
Although Nel won the final, Chavez was the most consistent diver and Connor outscored Nel in the preliminary and semi-final events.
Australian diving selectors have discretion, as long as divers have met all the required criteria.
Wu said going to a third Olympics will be incredible.
“It mean so much to me,” she said.
“I’m just so excited. To be able to do it once was amazing, but this will be my third. I’ve been to Rio, I’ve seen the Olympic venue, I think it will be an amazing Olympics.”
It will be the continuation of an incredible journey for Wu, who first burst onto the Australian sporting scene as a 13-year-old at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
She’ll go to Rio as the most experienced and one of the oldest members of the team.
“I can’t believe I went from being one of the youngest for so long, to being one of the oldest,” she said.
“It’s nice though to be able to help the younger ones, and share some of my experiences and help them along the way.”
The women’s 3-metre springboard and men’s platform finals will be contested on Sunday, with Maddison Keeney, Anabelle Smith, Esther Qin and Georgia Sheehan all vying for the two positions available in the springboard.
Commonwealth Games synchro gold medallist, Domonic Bedggood will start favourite in the platform, with the contest for the second position wide open.
Photograph courtesy of Barbi Donnet Carver
