Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney secure Paris Olympics spot
Australian divers Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney have made history by becoming the first athletes from their country to secure spots for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The duo, known for their exceptional synchronised diving skills, will once again challenge for a podium finish in the 3-metre synchro event.
Smith, 31, and Keeney, 28, previously claimed bronze in the 3m synchro event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, Keeney missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to an injury setback. Undeterred by past challenges, the pair demonstrated their prowess by clinching gold at the recent Olympic test event in Paris. Moreover, their silver medal at the world championship earlier this year solidified their position for the upcoming Games.
Their successful partnership extends beyond the Olympics, as they also secured the Commonwealth 3m synchro title together two years ago in Birmingham. Despite living nearly 2,000km apart, with Smith based in Melbourne and Keeney in Brisbane, the pair has cultivated a fruitful collaboration over several years.
For Smith, the selection marks a remarkable achievement, placing her alongside Melissa Wu, Jenny Donnet, and Loudy Wiggins as the only Australian divers to compete at four Olympic Games. Reflecting on her journey, Smith expressed gratitude for the support she received during her recovery from a ruptured Achilles 18 months ago. She emphasized the significance of returning to competition and seeing her hard work pay off in the pool.
Keeney, equally thrilled by the selection, highlighted the relief of having their 3m synchro selection confirmed, allowing her to focus on preparing for the remaining Olympic trials and the Games themselves.
Their qualification sets the stage for an exciting journey towards the Paris Olympics, where Smith and Keeney aim to showcase their exceptional talent and pursue further success on the global stage.
Freshman Josiah Rosales-Cristales learned to dive via YouTube; now he’s City champion
The story of freshman diver Josiah Rosales-Cristales of Hawkins High will make you smile on any day.
He taught himself how to dive through videos on YouTube growing up in South Los Angeles. At age 4, he was so excited to try diving at the neighborhood pool that he didn’t tell the truth about his age.
“He lied about his age and told them he was older and that’s how they allowed him to use the spring board,” his mother, Sabrina, said.
On Wednesday at the City Section diving championships at Palisades High, no one knew who Rosales-Cristales was.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d win,” he said.
Except he did win.
The 14-year-old freshman accumulated a total of 278.80 points in 11 dives to outscore a trio of Palisades boys on the 1-meter board at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center. One of three judges awarded him an 8 (of a possible 10 points) on his favorite dive, an inward pike, and he took the lead in round seven.
“I was very surprised to win, I was worried at first but as I did more dives I realized I had a chance at first or second,” he said. “I enjoy the rush of the waves towards my face as I go in the water.”
After placing fifth last year, Palisades senior Parker Connor sprung to the girls’ title with a cumulative score of 443.95, beating Granada Hills’ Ava San Jose by 17.75 points.
onnor’s highest score of the day was an 8.5 on a one-half flip with a front full twist that she purposely picked among her first dives. Connor not only won a medal but also earned 20 valuable points that will count toward Palisades’ team total at the City swim finals Saturday.
Connor drastically improved on last year’s effort (377.95) when Elle Crisostomo of Harbor Teacher Prep won with a score of 413.80.
This was only the first experience for Rosales-Cristales.
“Yes I want to come back and defend my title next year, absolutely!” he said.
Rosales-Cristales has hearing aids but doesn’t let anything stop him from succeeding. He played basketball, soccer and baseball before high school but thanks to YouTube, he keeps learning new dives.
“I’ll give it a try,” he had told his mother about joining the Hawkins swim team.
And now he can wear a medal around his neck to show off his City championship.
Learn more: https://www.adventurefilm.academy/
