WAIS diving athlete Maddison Keeney has earned herself an invitation to the 2012 Olympic selection trials after a solid performance at last week’s Australian Open National Diving Championships in Adelaide.
The 15 year-old produced an impressive display – particularly in the 3m springboard competition, where she returned the fifth highest score of 270.60, which due to her level of difficulty and meeting a requirement target score, has enabled her to be eligible for the 2012 National Development Squad.
Keeney’s position on the National Development Squad allows her to compete in International Open Age events next year, and qualifies her for the Australian Diving Team’s 2012 Olympic Shadow Team, which means she can attend the 2012 Olympic Trials, which will also be held in Adelaide (April 2-4).
This result is a positive sign for the WAIS Diving Program, which is still in a stage of infancy, having been formed in 2009 under the guidance of head coach Iris Deng, with a specific aim towards grooming athletes for Rio 2016 and beyond.
Keeney also competed in the 1m springboard, finishing seventh (216.85) and partnered fellow WAIS athlete Sally Hackett in the 3m synchronised event, with the pair earning a highly credible fifth with a score of 259.95.
Hackett herself showed plenty of promise for the future, competing in the 1m springboard for 12th (208.20) and 3m springboard for 17th, with a score of 200.05 in the semi-final stage.
