WA Divers Take Form into Aus Open Champs

Western Australia’s elite diving talent will head to the Australian Open Championships in good form after a series of standout efforts at the WA Junior Elite Championship at HBF Stadium last weekend.

The 10m platform was the most keenly contested event on the competition schedule, with training partners Teju Williamson, Nikita Hains and Tamara Irvine all going head to head in the final competitive hit-out before nationals.

Very little separated first from second, with Nedlands resident Williamson earning top billing on 442.15 points ahead of Hains (Dianella) on 438.20. Irvine finished third on 385.55.

Floreat local Irvine topped the podium in the 3m springboard event, collecting the title with a points total of 428.85.

13 year-old Claremont resident Jorja McCall earned a silver medal in the Junior B Girls 1m springboard and bronze in the 3m event. Both titles went to Diving WA talent squad member Zoe Langtry.

With none of the WA based athletes current members of the Australian national squad, they are all ineligible from earning selection for July’s World Titles in Hungary.

What is at stake at next week’s nationals in Sydney however – aside from national title honours – is the opportunity to earn invitation onto the national training squad for the remainder of the 2017 season and in the lead up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

One Western Australia who is very much in the selection picture for Budapest, is Rio Olympic bronze medallist Maddison Keeney. The now Gold Coast based athlete – will harbour ambitions of earning selection for the Australian team in both the 3m springboard and 3m synchro events.

Keeney partnered Anabelle Smith in Rio, with pair bringing home a bronze medal with a clutch dive in the final round, securing their podium berth.

The 2017 Australian Open Championships and Selection Trials are being contested in Sydney from Wednesday May 24 – Friday May 26.