Williamson Earns World Cup Berth

WAIS diver Teju Williamson has earned selection for the senior Australian team to compete at next year’s Rio World Cup event in the 10m synchro.

Williamson impressed at the recent selection and Oceania Championship events in Melbourne and will now have the opportunity to earn Australia an Olympic quota position in the women’s 10m synchro along with South Australian diver Taneka Kovchenko.

The duo upstaged Olympic medallists Melissa Wu and Brittany Broben at the selection trial, and will now represent Australia at the Rio World Cup event in February 2016. Wu and Broben did exact some revenge, by claiming victory in the 10m synchro at the following Oceania Championships.

A top seven position in Rio would qualify Australia a berth in the women’s 10m synchro at the 2016 Olympic Games, and present Williamson and Kovchenko with what until recently would’ve been considered a highly unlikely opportunity to contest for a position for the Olympics.

Williamson at 16, has previously been earmarked for representation at the Tokyo Games in 2020, but such is the rapid nature of her development, an opportunity for Rio now exists.

Whilst the fate of Australia’s entry in the 10m synchro rests with the talent youngsters, they would still need to qualify ahead of the vastly experienced duo of Wu and Broben at May’s Olympic Selection Trials.

At last weekend’s Oceania Championships, Broben claimed victory in the women’s 10m individual platform with Williamson continuing her impressive streak of form for second.

Broben registered 364.70 points, to earn gold, with Williamson accruing 313.85 for silver.