DIVING: As a teenager at the London 2012 Olympics, diver Anabelle Smith was overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and the atmosphere.
Aged 19-year-old, Annabelle competed in the 3 metre synchronised event on the first day of competition.
“There was around 16 thousand people watching. It was the biggest crowd I’ve dived in front of,” Smith said.
Smith and partner Sharleen Stratton had claimed a medal at the World Championships in 2011 and were aiming for the podium in London.
“On that stage anything can happen. We still dived well but didn’t get the medal we were hoping for and finished fifth,” she said.
Now a few years older and wiser, Smith says she’s ready to take that next step in RIO.
“I think London was a really big learning experience. Leading into Rio, I know what it’s going to feel like, that confidence to deliver on the day is there,” she said.
“I’ve really been training hard to put myself in the best position to make the Rio Team.
“Diving in Australia is really strong at the moment so there’s a lot of people in the running for only limited spots, but hopefully all things going well I’ll be there. It’ll be an awesome day to see when the Olympic Team is announced.”
The Melbourne based diver is now paired with Maddison Keeney.
Keeney lives in Brisbane, but the pair stay in touch regularly and practice together at training camps.
It’s been a successful partnership so far. The duo claimed bronze at last year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games and are now vying for selection for the Rio Team.
Smith believes being able to call herself a dual Olympian will make all the hard work in training worth it.
“Being an Olympian is only something a small group of people can say,” she said.
“Everyone really bonds from all different sports. It’s really great to get involved, watching other people compete in different sports, seeing how other athletes handle themselves and compete. You really feel part of a Team.”
Smith and Keeney will compete at the opening round of the FINA Diving World Series in Beijing on March 14-15.
olympics.com.au
