Cassiel's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Diving
Event: Men's 10m platform
Olympic History: Tokyo 2020
Highlights: 9th at the 2019 FINA World Championships
Coach: Adrian Hinchcliffe
Year Born: 2001
State Born: QLD
About Cassiel
Cassiel Rousseau made a late entry into the sport of diving seeking a change of pace, leaving behind a highly successful career in gymnastics where he trained at the Robertson Gymnastics Academy in Brisbane.
Before making the transition to diving, his teenage life revolved around acrobatic gymnastics, winning the Athlete Award of Distinction for his performances at the 2016 Acrobatic World Championships in China, where he was the flag bearer for Australia.
Elite sport runs in Rousseau’s family, his brother Liam and sisters Oceane and Elodie are also accomplished gymnasts, competing at the national level. Their grandfather, Frenchman Michel Rousseau, was also an elite cyclist who won gold at the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.
Rousseau was 16-years-old when he began diving, but stunned competitors, taking out first in the 3m Springboard and second in the 1m Springboard at his first Junior Nationals event.
He was invited to compete at the FINA World Junior Championships that year, but was unable to dive for Australia due to a back injury.
Just twelve months into his diving career, he was selected to join the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Program, under the mentorship of Ironwoman champion Karla Gilbert.
The partnership proved beneficial as Rousseau made his debut to the FINA Circuit at 18 years old in Calgary. He competed in three events, producing a best result of fourth in the Men’s 3m Synchronised Springboard alongside Matthew Carter.
In 2019, Rousseau competed at the FINA World Championships in Gwangju. His 9th place performance guaranteed Australia a place in the men’s 10m platform event for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
At the 2021 Australian Open Championships, which also doubled as the Tokyo 2021 qualifying event, Rousseau claimed his spot on the Australian Team for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
On Olympic debut in Tokyo, a 20-year-old Rousseau advanced to the Final of the Men’s 10m Platform where he finished a commendable eighth. Only two Australians have performed better in this event on the world stage, those being Olympic Medallists Matthew Mitcham (Gold Beijing 2008) and Mathew Helm (Silver Athens 2004).
It was a remarkable result for Rousseau who had his first formal diving lesson just five years’ earlier.
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