Have A Go Olympic Challenge 2024

HAVE A GO AT OLYMPIC SPORTS

FIND YOUR SPORT
Background image

Preview: 2022 Australian Diving Championships

 

Preview: 2022 Australian Diving Championships

Author image
AOC
Nikita Hains Tokyo 2020

The 2022 Australian Diving Championships are set to get underway in Melbourne this week, at Aquanation in Ringwood from Wednesday 1 June to Saturday 4 June.

The event will also double as the selection trials for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2022 FINA World Championships.

With 14 positions up for grabs on the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games, Australia’s top divers will be in their best form.

After a breakthrough season that saw her qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Olympian Nikita Hains is eyeing off her first World Championships and Commonwealth Games teams.

Nikita will be competing in both the women’s platform and women’s platform synchro with Emily Boyd, and is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase her skills.

“The competition starts tomorrow, so the nerves are definitely gearing up but I’m really excited. I’ve put in a good week of training so I just want to get out there and give it my best,” Nikita said.

“It’s my first World Championships and Commonwealth Games, so to be selected for both of those teams would be really exciting.

“It would mean everything to me to be there in Budapest and Birmingham, making the Olympic team gave me a taste of what it’s like to be on the Australian team and it’s a really special team to be a part of.

“So if I get to do that again, that would be amazing,” she said.

Fellow Tokyo Olympian Sam Fricker is also hoping to qualify for his first Commonwealth Games team, competing in the men’s 3m synchro, men’s 3m, men’s platform and men’s platform synchro events this weekend.

“I’m feeling good - I’m really keen to get out and compete,” Sam said.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major event like this, my last one was the Olympics and the Olympic trials before that. So it’s exciting, it’s nerve wracking, it’s all those things.

“I do both springboard and platform, and sometimes it can be difficult to manage, but it’s just taking it one event at a time, one dive at a time.

“It would be incredible to be there in Birmingham, I always watched the Commonwealth Games on TV, as well as the Olympics. Making the Olympics was a dream come true and making the Commonwealth Games would be another dream ticked off that bucket list,” he said.

Dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Rio Olympian Domonic Bedggood will be looking to continue his golden run, teaming up with Tokyo Olympian Cassiel Rousseau in the men’s platform synchro.

“This is my first competition back in quite some time, so it’s nice to be around everyone and see everyone again,” Domonic said.

“Making the teams for Budapest and Birmingham would be what I envision as picking up where I left off - I’m only doing the one event this weekend which is nice.

“This season is all about easing back into it, focusing on the synchro and then maybe next year get back into the individual - who knows,” he said.

Having relocated to Victoria earlier this year, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Georgia Sheehan is looking forward to the opportunity to dive in her new backyard.

“For me, I’m just really excited to be here and make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given to dive my best,” Georgia said.

“It would be my second World Championships team and my third Commonwealth Games team if I do qualify this year.

“So fingers are crossed, but all I can do is go out there and try my hardest, and show all the preparation we’ve been doing.

“I’m just excited at the opportunity for me to do that, and if the trials do result in me qualifying for those teams then that will just be the cherry on top of the cake,” she said.

All the Australian Open Championships action will get underway tomorrow, Wednesday 1 June, from 10am with the men’s and women’s platform synchro events.

Click here for the full event schedule.

The first three days of competition will be livestreamed via the Diving Australia Facebook page, with the final day to be livestreamed via the 7 Network on 7plus.

Live results will be available here.

MORE ON DIVING
MORE ON NIKITA HAINS
MORE ON SAM FRICKER
MORE ON DOMONIC BEDGGOOD
MORE ON CASSIEL ROUSSEAU
Top Stories