A lethargic Matthew Mitcham has struggled to a ninth place finish in the final of the men's 3m springboard at the FINA world championships on Thursday.
The Olympic 10m platform champion completed his rigorous competition program with a tired performance, compiling just 431.30 points from his six dives.
A lethargic Matthew Mitcham has struggled to a ninth place finish in the final of the men's 3m springboard at the FINA world championships on Thursday.
The Olympic 10m platform champion completed his rigorous competition program with a tired performance, compiling just 431.30 points from his six dives.
The Australian fell well short of China's gold medallist He Chong who won with 505.20 points from USA's Troy Dumais (498.40) and Canadian Alexandre Despatie (490.30).
Mitcham was last after the opening round of dives and while he climbed to as high as seventh, he again failed to nail his final attempt and dropped back down the standings.
But Mitcham was still optimistic about his results in Italy as he was the only diver in the competition to contest three individual events - and he made all three finals.
He won a bronze medal in the 1m springboard, was fourth in the 10m platform and finished ninth in the 3m to improve on his failure to make the springboard final in Beijing last year.
"I did the best I could with whatever I've got left in the tank," he said.
"There was nothing there. Just fumes.
"It was very rough, there is nothing left.
"Last year at the Olympics I finished 16th and this year I'm ninth. I've jumped seven places in 10 months while maintaining a high level in platform and getting heaps better on 1m.
"I'm nothing but really proud of myself."
Earlier on Thursday Australia's Sharleen Stratton and Briony Cole cruised into the final of the women's synchronised 3m springboard.
The Aussie duo were sixth of 13 teams in the preliminary round, finishing less than four points outside the top three at Foro Italico.
Stratton and Cole compiled 301.74 points, behind runaway leaders and Olympic champions Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia with 342.90 points. Italy's Tania Cagnotto and Francesca Dallape (316.20) were second, followed by the logjam of four teams with Russia (305.49), Mexico (304.50) and Canada (302.70) only slightly ahead of Australia.
The final of the 3m synchronised springboard will be held on Friday.
Todd Balym
AAP
