Hains Seventh at Junior World Champs
WA diver Nikita Hains has enjoyed a successful debut campaign at the FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Russia, taking seventh place in the final of the girls’ platform competition.
Hains and fellow West Aussie Tamara Irvine were both members of the Australian Junior Team competing in Kazan, with the talented duo selected for the 10m platform.
In the preliminaries, Hains qualified for the 12 person final with a total score of 378.85, which was good enough for 10th ranking overall.
Irvine would miss out after posting the 18th highest score of 337.60, but did impress with a high quality back 2 – somersault which fetched 55.10 points.
With the platform final affording divers just four dives apiece, Hains adopted a more aggressive strategy with her repertoire, opening with a well-executed arm-stand back double somersault 1 – twist which earned her 67.20 points.
Hains followed with a reverse 2 – somersault which again scored well (61.60), before closing with a back 2 – somersault and a back 2 – somersault with 1 – twists.
With scores aggregated from selected preliminary dives, added onto the total of the final dives, Hains recorded a combined total of 400.85 which earned her seventh place, up three positions from qualifying.
Hains and Irvine were joined in Russia by WAIS Diving coach and Athens Olympic medallist Matt Helm, with the squad due to round out the 2016 competition year, with a grand prix meet on the Gold Coast next week.