DIVING: Olympic bronze medallist Maddison Keeney has led the medal charge for Australia at the opening World Series diving event for 2017 in Beijing, picking up an individual bronze and partnering two synchro silver medals.

Her individual bronze was remarkable, given she was given a penalty for a false start on her second dive. But Keeney’s overall dive list was more difficult than her opponents, and she was able to claw back the points difference to finish less than three points out of the silver medal position.

Chinese divers Tingmao Shi and Yani Chang filed the top two positions, while Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Esther Qin, finished sixth.

Keeney and Anabelle Smith went one better than their Olympic bronze in the women’s 3-metre synchro, finishing second behind China’s Shi Tingmao, a double gold medallist in Rio, and Xu Zhihuan.

Mixed synchro events have also been added to diving competitions, with Keeney and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Domonic Bedggood, teaming up to take the silver in the 3-metre springboard.

After a slow start which saw the Australians sitting last in the six-strong field, Keeney and Bedggood performed strongly in their final two dives to finish second behind China’s Wang Han and Li Zheng.

In other results, Taneka Kovchenko and Bedggood finished fourth in the mixed synchro platform final, while two missed dives cost Bedggood a place in the men’s platform final.

The Australian team will now head to Guangzhou City this weekend for the second World Series event.

Ross Solly
Diving Australia