The Australia Diving Championships got underway today at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide. The most keenly watched event was the women’s 10 metre platform preliminaries with 2005 Australian Youth Olympic Festival medallist Rachel Bugg surprising the field.
The Australia Diving Championships got underway today at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide. The most keenly watched event was the women’s 10 metre platform preliminaries. 2005 Australian Youth Olympic Festival medallist Rachel Bugg surprised the field to lead at the end of the preliminaries with a score of 391.85, followed by Olympians Alexandra Croak 361.80 (NSW) and Melissa Wu 347.05 (NSW).
The semi-final saw the pressure building on divers with South Australian Bugg again continuing her strong form after leading the prelims, to take out the semi final with a score of 390.45. She was followed by comeback queen 32-year-old Loudy Wiggins (VIC) with a score of 373.70. In third place was Croak (NSW), scoring 343.80 points with rising star Brittany Broben fourth (328.65) and Wu fifth (320.65). The final of this event will be held on Saturday morning.
“I’m very happy with my result today” said Bugg. “It is a tough competition today with such a quality field, and it’s great to come out on top. The final will be just as tough on Saturday” she said.
In the men’s 3 metre springboard event, Ethan Warren (QLD) led the preliminaries ahead of the visiting Chinese and Japanese divers. In the semi-final Warren continued his good form to lead the field with 465.00 points ahead of the visiting Chinese (Wang) and Japanese (Tarauchi) divers with Scott Robertson (NSW) in fourth place, scoring 432.95.Grant Nel (VIC) finished in fifth place, scoring 417.15.
“ I am pleased be back from my illness and very happy with my result today” said Warren. “It gives me good confidence for the final on Saturday” he said.
In today’s other event to conclude day 1, the women’s 1 metre springboard final, Anna Gelai (VIC) won the event scoring 271.10 points from Jaele Patrick (VIC), 268.55. In third place was Taneka Kovchenko (QLD) 243.35.
As this is not an Olympic Event, the current Australian Champion Broben and her training partner at the AIS in Brisbane, Sharleen Stratton opted not to compete, instead concentrating on their key events of 10 metre platform and 3 metre springboard respectively, in which they hope to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
Day two commences on Friday morning 9th December with the women’s 3 metre and men’s 10 metre (featuring Matthew Mitcham) preliminaries.
Diving Australia
