IT’S GOLDEN REVENGE FOR DRIVEN MADDISON
IT was a win years in the making and one which has finally erased the memory of a lost opportunity which has haunted diver Maddison Keeney for two long years.
After a very public and embarrassing flop two years ago saw her squander a chance of world medal success, Maddison Keeney nailed it on Sunday at the Budapest world championships to win her maiden world diving crown.
“It’s something I have been dreaming of for a long time,’’ said Keeney, who suffers from nerves at big events.
The 21-year-old Rio Olympian showed relief after coming from behind to win the 1m springboard event in Hungary on her final dive in an act of redemption for 2015.
“It feels incredible, but also very relieving,” Keeney said.
“I was relieved as soon as I did my hurdle on the board, because I have a lot of bad memories from two years ago that I want to overwrite.
“And so being able to put a performance on that I could be proud of was the most important thing.
“I was hoping so much that I’d finally be able to win this event after so many attempts.”
It was an emotional moment for Keeney who moved from 10th in a field of 12 after the first round to gradually make her way into the gold medal position.
In other results, Melissa Wu and Gold Coast’s Domonic Bedggood finished seventh in the platform mixed synchro.