Wu at top of her game ahead of Rio Olympics

At the tender age of 16 NSWIS diver Melissa Wu made her debut for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and now 10 years later the once baby of the Australian team is staring down the barrel of her third Olympics as one of the most experienced team members.  

Over the weekend Wu contested the Australian national diving titles, the Rio qualification tournament and was dominant in all three rounds of the 10-metre platform competition to record wins in each, and meet all the requisite criteria to be nominated to the Australia Olympic team. 

However the women’s 10-metre platform wasn’t without drama as fellow NSWIS diver and Olympic silver medallist Brittany Broben was forced to retire from the event with a shoulder injury. 

While the timing of the injury could not have been worse for Broben, the 20-year-old is hoping that national selectors consider ‘extenuating circumstances’ when making their decision on Australia’s diving team as she eyes another Olympic berth. 

Meanwhile recently naturalised Australian diver Kevin Chavez has thrown his name into the mix for the men’s springboard event, the NSWIS diver ending the day as the most consistent competitor. Selectors will also consider 2012 Olympian James Connor and 2014 Commonwealth Games medallist Grant Nel, who won the final. 

Despite the ups and downs of her NSWIS teammates, Wu held firm to all but confirm her Olympic selection and was unable to hide her excitement after the event. 

“It means so much to me,” she told diving Australia. 

“I’m just so excited. To be able to do it once was amazing, but this will be my third. I’ve been to Rio, I’ve seen the Olympic venue, I think it will be an amazing Olympics.”

“I can’t believe I went from being one of the youngest for so long, to being one of the oldest,” she said.

“It’s nice though to be able to help the younger ones, and share some of my experiences and help them along the way.”