Former gymnastics rivals on podium in 10m synchro
Early birds get to final
THEY may have butted heads in gymnastics but as divers Australia’s Domonic Bedggood and Declan Stacey are very much in synch.
Fifteen years after they first met as rival gymnasts, Gold Coaster Bedggood and Stacey combined to claim 10m syn- chro diving bronze. Now good friends, the Australian pair’s close bond was on display when they dug deep to move from fourth to third with a high-scoring final dive at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to snatch bronze.
Rio bronze medallists Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow of England took gold with 405.81 points, ahead of compatriots Matthew Dixon and Noah Williams (399.99) and the Australians (397.92).
Rio Olympian Bedggood, 23, and Games rookie Stacey, 24, embraced after they jagged the medal – in complete contrast to their first meeting.
“We have known each other since we were nine years old in gymnastics but we were competitors – Domonic for Queensland and I was competing for NSW,” Stacey said.
“But the friendship has grown since. He moved to diving and I followed a couple of years later.”
Bedggood switched to diving when he broke his back on the high bar in 2011. Bedggood won 10m synchro gold with the now retired Matthew Mitcham at the 2014 Glasgow Games.
“It is good to have that friendship, so now hopefully we can progress to Tokyo (2020),” Bedggood said.
Australia last night added silver and bronze from the 1m springboard, with Georgia Sheehan and Esther Qin taking minor medals after leading qualifying.
Scotland’s consistent Grace Reid won gold. BOOMERS forward Daniel Kickert says Australia are ready to rumble with Scotland this morning.
The men’s basketball semifinal between the Boomers and Bravehearts will tip off at 10am. The last time most of the Australian players would have laced up their boots that early would have been in under-12s.