DIVING: Retirement is not a dirty word for inaugural Australian diving captain Melissa Wu.
But the pint-sized dynamo has not been discouraged at the world titles in Russia, despite nursing niggling injuries that just won't go away.
Wu and teammate Lara Tarvit (302.22 points) finished eighth in Monday night's women's 10m synchro final in Kazan behind China's defending champions Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia (359.52).
Canada's Meaghan Benfeito and and Roseline Filion (339.99) took silver and North Korea's Kim Un Hyang and Song Nam Hyang (325.26) bronze.
Wu does not baulk at the thought of walking away from her beloved sport after admitting she was still hampered by an ongoing back complaint and a wrist injury that has not improved for a year.
Yet Wu reckons the Rio Olympics are still in her sights.
And few would dare doubt her.
She has been defying the critics since she claimed 10m synchro silver when a stiff breeze looked set to blow her off the platform as she burst onto the scene as a diminutive 13-year-old at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
"My goal is more short term towards Rio," Beijing Olympic silver medallist Wu told AAP.
"After that I will reassess everything and see how I am going with injuries.
"I am so proud of the fact that I have been in the sport for so long and I believe I may go for a few years still.
"For me, I haven't achieved everything I want in the sport.
"There is always something I want to improve on - as a diver I always strive for perfection."
Wu began her Kazan world titles campaign by claiming bronze with Domonic Bedggood in the inaugural, non-Olympic mixed 10m synchro on the weekend.
She will compete in the individual 10m on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Australian young guns Maddison Keeney and Esther Qin are in sight of the podium ahead of Tuesday night's one-metre springboard final.
Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist Keeney at one stage sat 29th in the 36-strong field before qualifying fourth for the final.
Commonwealth 3m champion Qin backed up from her world titles 3m synchro bronze with Samantha Mills to qualify sixth.
Meanwhile, Bedggood and James Connor finished 12th in the men's platform synchro final.
Connor will link with Australian veteran Grant Nel in Tuesday night's 3m springboard synchro final.
At the world titles, synchronised teams need to finish top three to qualify for next year's Rio Olympics, while the top 12 in the 3m and platform individual events book places for their country at the 2016 Games.
AAP
