Esther Qin is an Olympic diver, who competes in the women’s 3m springboard event. The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder is a dual Olympian, four-time Commonwealth Games medallist, and a world championship bronze medallist.
Born and raised in China, Esther’s initial sport of choice was gymnastics before taking up diving at the age of 11. In 2009, when Esther was 17, her family moved to Australia where she continued diving. She was awarded an NSWIS Scholarship in 2012, training under head coach Chava Sobrino.
The following year the NSWIS diveer claimed bronze at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Canada and silver at the 2013 Summer Universiade – both in the 3m Synchronised Springboard event. Selected on to the Australia team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the then 22-year-old won a gold and a bronze medal in the 3m Springboard and 1m Springboard respectively, and also placed 4th in the 3m Synchronised Springboard.
The young diver’s success continued and at the 2015 World Championships she finished in third place in the 3m Synchronised Springboard just outside the medals in 4th place in the 3m Springboard individual.
Making her Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio, Esther reached the finals in the 3m springboard individual, placing sixth overall.
Since then, she has gone to win multiple medals at FINA World Cup, Grand Prix and World Series events as well as a gold medal in the 3m springboard synchro and bronze in the 1m springboard individual at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Esther again reached the finals in the women’s 3m springboard event where she finished in 12th place. Esther was unlucky not to medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, finishing sixth in the women’s 1m springboard and fifth with Brittany O’Brien in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard.