SOME of the best up and coming divers are out to make a splash at the weekend’s Ripntear Peter and Patricia Morgan Memorial Meet and Victorian Country Diving Championships.
Mildura’s number one diving event will see more than 50 competitors take to the boards and platforms, and as an age qualifying event all divers want to impress.
Divers across novice, junior, age and open categories will compete, while also included are skins events for cash prizes, plus pairs challenge in which divers are assigned a random partner to complete synchronised diving routines.
A number of Diving South Australia team members arrived in town in recent days and have been getting their practice in alongside local competitors.
Event organiser and Diving Sunraysia head coach Leanne Morgan said things are all is set for an exciting weekend despite the expected hot temperatures.
“We’re all pretty excited, this year we’re considering bringing air con to the pool deck just for the officials!” she said.
“We will run a couple of skins events, the platform, the first part of the Diving Sunraysia outdoor skins springboard event and then one everyone is looking forward to which is the synchro event which we have massive numbers for.
“We’ve already pre-set the dives that everyone is going to do and you actually can’t enter without actually having that list, and then we ping pong ball partner them up.
“You could have an 11-year-old partner with someone who is 18, but it’s really fun and it means all the competitors from day one actually get to meet other.
“Events will be from 9am both days. We’re trying to push through events so we’re done by early afternoon so we’re out of the heat of the day.
“We’ve got around 50 competitors, tracking pretty well and similar to last year and hopefully next year will even bigger.”
The event will be held a week earlier than its usual time frame to accommodate for the Victorian Long Course Country Swimming Championships at Mildura Waves the following weekend.
As a result of less training time, Diving Sunraysia entrants will only compete in novice events.
While some talented divers will also miss the event, there will still be plenty to keep and eye on.
Ringwood’s Liela O’Sullivan won three sliver medals at the Australian Age Championships last year, alongside a gold and silver at the Victorian Elite Junior Championships.
Melbourne’s Nick Vasta is a gold medal winner at both the Australian and Victorian Elite Junior Championships last year.
Ringwood Diving Club’s Rohan Blake is the current holder of the Ripntear Amanda Johnson Perpetual Award for best performance by a visitor in January this year, while Allegra Bottrell-Thorburn was the best performed local diver.
Competition will begin from 4pm Friday, and from 9am on Saturday and Sunday, with spectators encouraged to attend.
