Three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Melissa Wu has all but secured her spot for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, after winning the women’s 10-metre platform at the Australian Open Diving Championships in Adelaide.
Eighteen years since Wu’s breakout performance on the world stage at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games at just 13-years-old, the veteran had to stave off teenager Ellie Cole to claim the national title.
Cole, who wasn’t even born when Wu won a silver medal alongside two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alexandra Croak in the Women’s 10m Synchronised Platform in 2006, held on to second position against a strong field.
Birmingham 2022 Team Member Emily Meaney rounded out the podium, while Birmingham 2022 bronze medallist Emily Boyd and Team Member Nikita Hains finished 4th and 7th respectively.
Although Wu is not yet guaranteed a position on the Olympic team, her chances of becoming the first Australian diver to attend five Olympic Games are near-on certain.
Wu, the Birmingham 2022 Closing Ceremony flag bearer, has claimed five medals from five Commonwealth Games, with her potential Olympic selection seeing her make double-digit appearances across the two international multi-sport events.
On the men’s side, it was the familiar sight of Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Cassiel Rousseau at the top of the podium. The 2023 10m Platform World Champion continues to build towards his second Olympic appearance – now secured by this victory – after a string of strong showings on the international circuit. The proven star showed his class across all three stages of the event, but the crowd’s loudest cheers were for local hero Jaxon Bowshire.
Throwing down a number of high scoring dives, the Emerging Athlete of the Month for June 2023 produced a cumulative score of 1334.05 to take second place ahead of Birmingham 2022 bronze medallist Sam Fricker. With two quota spots available for the men’s 10m platform, Bowshire will likely join Rousseau for his debut Olympic Games at just 18 years of age.
Fellow Emerging Athlete of the Month Alysha Koloi is also on her way to Paris after she took second place in the women’s 3m springboard. Locked in a tight contest for the minor podium positions with Gold Coast 2018 gold medallist Georgia Sheehan, a competition-best dive for Koloi of 69.00 in the final round gave her the edge by just 0.55 points.
The 22-year-old’s 2024 season continues to get better after she won gold in the 1m springboard final at the World Championships in February, which netted her the Emerging Athlete award.
Her idol and two-time Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Maddison Keeney was a class above Koloi and Sheehan, taking the Australian title to lock in a second event at the upcoming Olympic Games.
Keeney will compete in both the individual and synchronised 3m springboard events, qualifying for the latter in May alongside Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Anabelle Smith, who did not dive at the Championships.
Elsewhere, three-time Birmingham 2022 medallist Shixin Li was upset by 25-year-old Kurtis Mathews in the men’s 3m springboard event. The win means Mathews secures the single quota spot on offer.
An official announcement of the Australian Olympic Diving Team is expected in the coming weeks.
