WAIS Diving athlete Maddison Keeney has won an Australian Open Championship title in Sydney after claiming gold in the women’s 1m.
The talented Perth teenager topped the board in the 1m final, accruing 297.20 points to finish ahead of New South Wales diver Esther Qin and Mexican Arantxa Chavez.
Keeney also impressed in the 3m springboard final, taking second place behind national champion Anabelle Smith. The pair was separated by less than five points in a high quality final, with Smith taking gold on 315.75 points, with Keeney only narrowly behind on 311.40.
The Australian Open Championships were also successful for emerging WAIS diver Joshua Ong, who recorded his best ever senior national performance, qualifying for two finals in Sydney, in the men’s 1m and 3m events.
Ong competed strongly for eighth place in the 1m final, securing 277.75 points with gold going to 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham. With a large international field competing in the event, Ong was the fifth best of the Australian contingent, reflecting his burgeoning status in the senior men’s ranks.
The final of the men’s 3m saw Ong finish in 11thplace with a score of 292.90. Victoria’s Grant Nel won the national title, with Mitcham second.
