Australian Diving Championships Open Road to Beijing

 MEDIA RELEASE

November 13, 2007

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AUSTRALIAN DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS OPEN ROAD TO BEIJING

Australia’s best divers will take a step towards glory in Beijing when they come together for 2008 Australian Open Championships at the North Adelaide Aquatic Centre from January 11 – 13.

The three-day event is expected to be the most competitive in history with an ‘old firm’ of superstars on the comeback trail, including Olympic medallists Chantelle (pictured below) and Robert Newbery, Mathew Helm and Loudy Wiggins (nee Tourky) squaring off against the next generation of aquatic aerialists.

Chantelle Newbery

The ‘new wave’ includes this year’s World Championship medallists Bree Cole, Melissa Wu and Sharleen Stratton, Commonwealth Games placegetters Alex Croak and Kathryn Blackshaw and talented men Scott Robertson and Matthew Mitcham.

The Championships will be the perfect dress rehearsal ahead of the crucial Selection Trials for the Beijing 2008 Australian Olympic Team that will take place at Hobart’s Tattersall’s Aquatic Centre three months later, from April 11-13.

Athens 10M gold and 3M synchro bronze medallist, Chantelle Newbery, sees the event as crucial to her Beijing preparations.

“I am really looking forward to the Australian Open Championships to see where I am at in my comeback,” Newbery said.

“From my point of view it’s a critical step towards Beijing because I haven’t done a lot of competing for a long while. It is really the first big step and there is little room for error.”

Newbery believes an advantage in her comeback is her balanced life and laid back attitude to the outcome.

“I have nothing to lose and that’s how I am approaching things,” the dual Olympian said.

“I have had a great career and if it doesn’t all go to plan, nothing will change for me. I have two beautiful boys (Jet and Ryder) waiting for me at home every day, a husband who looks like he will make the Olympics, a great job and if it all falls down I’ve enjoyed the journey.

“Having said that I am working hard and I am confident I can do well.”

The competition will kick off on Friday January 11 with the non-Olympic men’s and women’s 1M springboard as well as the spectacular 3M and 10M synchro events for both sexes.

The women’s 10M synchro is expected to be one of the highlights of the entire weekend with veteran Olympic heroines Newbery and Wiggins taking on 2007 World Championship runner’s up, Cole and Wu.

It is the classic ‘Master versus Apprentice’ clash with the added spice being that whoever is selected to represent Australia in Beijing will almost certainly be in line for a finals berth and probably a medal.

“There’s more divers and more depth at the top now than ever before in Australia,” Newbery said.

“A lot of them are still young and gathering experience and the quality gets better every year.

“Melissa and Bree are a great combination too and if Loudy and I can knock them off we will know we are in good stead for medals internationally because they are number two in the world.”

The second day’s action will see the women’s 3M event with title holder Stratton, Cole, Blackshaw and Newbery; as well as the men’s 10M final featuring Helm, the Athens silver medallist in the event, as well as Rob Newbery, 2007 champion Robertson and the gifted Mitcham.

The competition’s final day will see events reversed with the women diving off the 10M and the men using the 3M springboard.

The women’s 10M will be world class with Athens bronze medallist Wiggins up against Wu, Cole, Croak and Nicole Ng and the possibility of Athens gold medallist Newbery competing too.

The men’s 3M will feature Rob Newbery, defending champion Robertson, Victorian Grant Nel and Mitcham.