Australia will be diving head first towards Olympic glory when the ten-strong team descends on London this July as they look to add to Australia’s three gold medals in Olympic competition.

Leading the Australian charge will be defending 10m Olympic Champion Matthew Mitcham, Beijing teammates Melissa Wu and Sharleen Stratton, along with soon-to-be four time Olympian Loudy Wiggins.

The Australian team is completed by 16-year-old Brittany Broben, USA college champion Jaele Patrick, Anabelle Smith, Rachel Bugg, Ethan Warren and James Connor.

Beijing served up one of Australia’s most famous diving victories when Mitcham came from behind as he recorded the dive of his life to snatch the gold from China’s Zhou Luxin who led the competition by over 30 points going into the final round of dives.

Having been there before, Mitcham knows the importance the final stretch into the Olympics will have in a successful Olympic campaign. 

“With less than 60 days to go until the Olympics kick off the excitement and anticipation is not going to wane,” the 24-year-old said. “Being this close gives you the motivation to train as hard as ever so I can put in the best performance and make myself and country proud.”

With the Olympic Champion usually having a target on their back, Mitcham admits that his injuries have kept him from his best in recent times.

“I feel like the underdog again in London. I’ve had a few injuries that have kept me from my best but it is good to go in without all that pressure. No one expects me to win and I feel more comfortable when I am in that position.

“I believe I can win gold again in London. I’ve done it before and know what it takes.”

Contrary to Mitcham’s experience, his London bound teammate Brittany Broben will be making her Olympic debut after finishing second behind Melissa Wu in the 10m platform at the trials in what was by far the most hotly contested event of the meet.

"Going into the Olympic Trials and then the Grand Prix events, I knew I had put everything into my training but the field of talent was ridiculous - it was anybody's game," said Broben.

"I'm extremely excited, it still doesn't feel real."

With the Olympic competition just around the corner, Broben knows she has to put into process the perfect preparation to ensure she reaches the level of her opponents in London.

"I will be working hard to tighten up my dives and work on my mental strength as well as technique.

“It’s definitely great having the older athletes on the team. I always talk to Matt [Mitcham] about what to expect at big events and that's really helpful."

Loudy Wiggins will join fellow Australian hall of fame diver Jenny Donnet as the only Australian to compete at four Olympic Games when she joins partner Rachel Bugg in the 10m platform synchronised event.

Wiggins became the first Australian to win a diving medal since Dick Eve in 1924 when she won bronze in Sydney in the 10m platform synchronised before achieving the same result four years later in the individual 10m platform in Athens.

All of the athletes, apart from Mitcham who will remain in Australia to catch up on training he missed during his lay off, will now head to the Madrid Grand Prix (June 15 – 17).

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