Australian Diving Team Launching World Cup Super Final campaign in China  

The World Aquatics 2024 Diving World Cup is set to wrap up with the highly-anticipated Super Final in Xi’an, China with the Australian Team hoping to continue their recent medal winning ways when competition starts on Friday.

The team will be spearheaded by Anabelle Smith (VIC) and Maddison Keeney (WA) who picked up the 3m springboard synchro silver medal at the World Championships earlier this year, along with 2023 10m platform World Champion Cassiel Rousseau (QLD).

Ten Australian athletes will be in action at the Super Final, with a strong blend of youth and experience across the team.

Rousseau will take to the 10-Metre platform with fellow (Berlin) World Cup Bronze Medallist and Teammate Domonic Bedggood (VIC) in the synchronised event before setting his sights on another podium finish in the individual event.

World Championship Medallist, Keeney will add the individual 3-Metre Springboard event to her list alongside Rio Olympian Brittany O’Brien (NSWIS/pictured above) after joining Smith in the synchronised event.  

Emily Meaney (TAS) will compete in the women’s individual 10-Metre Platform event.

17-year-old Jaxon Bowshire (SA) will also compete in the Men’s 10-Metre Platform with Olympian Nikita Hains (WA/NSWIS) taking on the individual 10-Metre Platform and the Team event.

Joining Tokyo Olympian Shixin Li (SA) in the Men’s 3-Metre Springboard, Kurtis Mathews (NSWIS) will hit the international scene again after a four-year stint in the US college system. 

Cassiel Rousseau, Shixin Li and Nikita Hains will also combine to compete in the Team event. 

Smith said herself and Keeney were hoping to continue their good form from the World Championships in the lead up to Paris 2024 and would continue to call on their experience to control the emotions.

“We had a great World Championships and came out with the result we wanted,” she said. 

“There is always a big crowd at competitions in China, so I am excited to feel that energy. We always enjoy chasing the Chinese, and have our sights set firmly on getting as close to them as we can.”

“We will have a good block of training between May and July, so we are excited to spend some more time training together and perfecting our synchronisation. We will spend time using video analysis and making sure we are optimising our technical opportunities to score highly.

“I have gained a lot of perspective over my career and realise that if my focus is on the things I can control and the process of doing my dives, then the results will take care of themselves. I put pressure on myself to perform at a high level, but I try to reduce the noise of external pressure.”

AUSTRALIAN DIVING TEAM, WORLD DIVING CUP SUPER FINAL 

MEN:

Shixin Li – 3-Metre Springboard & Team

Kurtis Mathews – 3-Metre Springboard 

Cassiel Rousseau – 10-Metre Platform, 10-Metre Platform Synchronised & Team

Domonic Bedggood – 10-Metre Platform Synchronised

Jaxon Bowshire – 10-Metre Platform

WOMEN:

Maddison Keeney – 3-Metre Springboard, 3-Metre Springboard Synchro & Team

Anabelle Smith – 3-Metre Springboard Synchronised

Nikita Hains – 10-Metre Platform & Team

Brittany O’Brien – 3-Metre Springboard

Emily Meaney – 10-Metre Platform

Story courtesy of Diving Australia