Australian Team Profile
Married couple Robert and Chantelle Newbery will once again headline a strong diving team for the Beijing Olympics. The Newberys and Matthew Helm will be involved in their third Olympics, while Matthew Mitcham, Scott Robertson, Briony Cole, Sharleen Stratton and Melissa Wu will all debut. Alexandra Croak will be making her second Olympics appearance, her first having been as a member of the 2000 gymnastics team.
For the men, Newbery and Helm are Australia's best chance at finishing in the medals. The experienced duo finished third in Athens in the synchronised 10m platform and just recently won the 2008 FINA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale. Helm also won the silver medal in the individual 10m platform in Athens and will be aiming at going one better this year. Newbery won bronze in the synchronised 3m platform with Steven Barnett in 2004, but this year he will be partnered by Scott Robertson. Mitcham is also carrying good form into the Games, having just won the 10m platform at the 2008 FINA Diving Grand Prix.
In the women's, Newbery won't be defending her 2004 gold medal in the 10m platform, instead she will only be competing in the 3m springboard. Sixteen-year-old Melissa Wu, at just 142cm and 37kg, will contest the 10m platform and is a strong chance to medal, having scored a perfect 10 at the 2006 Commonwealth Games trials when she was just 13. She is also in good form, coming off a win at the 2008 Canada Cup Grand Prix. Wu and Cole came third in the synchronised 10m platform at the 2008 FINA World Cup in Beijing earlier this year so they will already be familiar with the conditions facing them.
Australia collected six medals (one gold, one silver and four bronze) at the 2004 Athens Games, which placed them second behind China as the best performed country.
Previous Olympic Medallists:
Gold:
Chantelle Newbery (10m platform) 2004
Silver:
Mathew Helm (10m platform) 2004
Bronze:
Irina Lashko / Chantelle Newbery (3m synchro) 2004
Mathew Helm / Robert Newbery (10m synchro) 2004
Robert Newberry / Dean Pullar (3m synchro) 2000
Australian Olympic Diving Team:
Men:
Mathew Helm - 10m Platform, Synchronised Diving 10m Platform
Matthew Mitcham - 10m Platform, 3m Springboard
Robert Newbery - 3m Springboard, Synchronised Diving 10m Platform, Synchronised Diving 3m Springboard
Scott Robertson - Synchronised Diving 3m Springboard
Women:
Briony Cole - Synchronised Diving 10m Platform, Synchronised Diving 3m Springboard
Alexandra Croak - 10m Platform
Chantelle Newbery - 3m Springboard
Sharleen Stratton - 3m Springboard, Synchronised Diving 3m Springboard
Melissa Wu - 10m Platform, Synchronised Diving 10m Platform