DIVING: Olympic silver medallist Brittany Broben won the women's platform final while Anabelle Smith put a broken preparation and a badly busted finger behind her to put themselves well in the frame for the Australian World Championships team. Meanwhile springboard specialist Grant Nel proved the comeback diver of the meet.

Tough decision pays off for Broben

Going into this year, Olympic silver medallist Brittany Broben had a big decision to make - focus solely on her final year of high school, or keep working hard at her diving career.

She chose the latter and, while she still needs to be selected for the Australian team for the world championships, the 17-year-old is well on her way to Barcelona after winning the platform final at the Australian selection trials on Saturday.

Broben's form in Brisbane pleased her.

"Overall, my day was pretty consistent, so I'm really happy with that," Broben said.

"My scores were pretty good. I got a 380 in the semis, which is one of my best scores."

If she agonised over her choice, she's convinced she made the right call.

"This is what I do the sport for - to make these teams. But if I do get selected, I'll actually miss my school formal," Broben said.

"I haven't got a dress, and everyone's been going 'are you coming?' and I've been saying 'just wait - don't ask me yet'.

"It's a toss-up between diving and school this year, but I'm just over the moon I made the criteria today. The world championships is just like making the Olympics for me."

She says she feels more passionate about diving than she did even one year ago.

"Without a doubt. I think once you've experienced an Olympics, it just makes you love the sport even more, I think.

"I just want to keep going because the Olympic experience was just unbelievable for me, and I just want to re-live it as much as I can.

"And I know in some places, I've really improved. Like with my nerves, I've definitely improved."

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Anabelle Smith set for world titles

Olympic diver Anabelle Smith put a broken preparation and a badly busted finger behind her on Sunday to win the three-metre springboard final at the world championship diving trials in Brisbane.

Three months ago, 20-year-old Smith badly crushed her finger in a gym accident, and was only recently able to return to the water.

She dived this weekend with her hand in a splint, but it had no effect on her diving. In the springboard competition, the Victorian posted three career-best scores and, in doing so, all but guaranteed her selection on the Australian team for Barcelona in July.

In the men's platform competition, former gymnast Dominic Bedggood lived up to the promise he had shown previously by posting a PB in the 10-metre final, putting him also one step closer to world championship selection.

Others to impress on the weekend included Olympic silver medallist Brittany Broben, who won the women's platform final, and Victorian Grant Nel, who won the three-metre springboard in his first major competition since major shoulder surgery.

The Australian team to compete in Barcelona will be announced later this week.

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New shoulder, new coach, new future for Nel

After missing last year's Olympics, Grant Nel had an important decision to make.

He was 24 - quite old for a diver - and he needed a shoulder reconstruction. Was it worth it?

He decided it was, and this weekend he proved it was definitely the right call by winning the 3-metre springboard final with a score that qualifies him for the Barcelona World Championships.

Nel had the operation while studying in Texas, and then returned to Australia earlier this year.

"I've only been training with my coach for about four months now, and we've just clicked," Nel said.

"I'm really starting to mature as a diver I think. I'm really enjoying the sport. I might be a bit older than the rest of the guys but I really have a love for the sport.

"To get to Barcelona would be amazing, it would be a dream come true, especially after my shoulder reconstruction."

The operation means he has to spend longer warming up before events, and more time stretching. It also means his shoulder gets sore at times, but with careful management he's confident he won't have further problems.

Nel will be 28 by the time Rio comes around, but that doesn't phase the Victorian.

"I wouldn't be diving now if I wasn't going to try for Rio," Nel said.

"After having the reconstruction, and then taking a step back and looking at what I wanted to do, through a bit of time off while I recovered, I've really decided I want to make Rio."