Australian diver Melissa Wu has tearfully detailed her grief-stricken journey to a bronze medal in the women’s 10-metre platform final at her fourth Olympics.
Wu, just the third diver to represent Australia at four Olympics, was aged 16 when she collected a silver medal in the synchronised 10m final at Beijing 2008.
A podium finish in the individual event had proven frustratingly elusive for the veteran, who was sixth in 2008, fourth at London 2012 then fifth in 2016.
But the 29-year-old exhibited plenty of composure and consistency throughout Thursday’s final in Tokyo, which was dominated in incredible fashion by 14-year-old gold medallist Quan Hongchan.
Wu shed a tear while opening up about the recent death of her grandmother.
“She was very close to me and I think this medal is very important to me because she didn’t get to see me win it,” Wu said.
“That would have been very important to her.”
Wu also detailed how she contemplated quitting the sport at multiple junctures, because of injuries and the shock death of her younger sister Kirsten in 2014.
“That was really, really tough for my family,” she said of Kirsten’s suicide.
“It’s something that is continually very challenging for me and my family.
“Diving kind of, I guess, saved me a bit. It gave me something to refocus on and keep going after that … diving has always been the thing that has kept me grounded.
“You don’t get over it … time just passes and you just get used to living with it.”
Wu had previously admitted she may not have qualified for the Games if they went ahead in 2020 as scheduled, having suffered shoulder and rib injuries.
Those setbacks came after knee, wrist, neck and back issues previously threatened to usher her into retirement – a topic the Sydneysider is yet to make a call on despite admitting that Tokyo was “probably my last Olympics”.
“I did question whether or not it was worth it to keep going, a few times in my career,” Wu said.
“I’ve doubted myself a little bit.
“I’m so glad that all my hard work has paid off.
“I’m lucky I’ve had such a long career.”
Wu’s second of five dives in the final, an armstand back double somersault with one and a half twists, was awarded a score of 76.8 that lifted her into third spot on the leaderboard.
Wu remained in that position then sealed bronze with her best score in Tokyo, 81.6 for a back two-and-a-half somersaults with one and a half twists in the pike position.
Wu finished with 371.4 points, trailing only China’s Quan (466.2) and Chen Yuxi (425.4).
Quan, competing at her first international event and the only member of China’s all-conquering diving contingent yet to be crowned world champion, earned perfect 10s from all seven judges for her second and fourth dives.
All but one judge gave Quan a perfect 10 for her last dive.
“I don’t think I’m a prodigy. I’m not very bright, I don’t do well in my studies,” Quan said.
“You ask me all these questions and there’s only a blank in my mind.”
China have claimed gold in all of the women’s diving events since the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
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