Melissa Wu

Olympic Diver

Melissa Wu has made Australian history, as the youngest Australian to compete

and medal in diving at the Olympic Games.

2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Medalist

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Medalist

2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Medalist

2012 Australian Olympic Team

Melissa Wu – The Facts• Name: Melissa Paige Wu

• Born: 3 May 1992

• Lives: Sydney

• Height: 152cm

• Weight: 49kg

• Institute: NSWIS

• Coach: Chava Sobrino

• Events: Women’s 10m Individual Platform and 10m Synchronised Platform

Photo Source: The Daily Telegraph

Melissa has enjoyed both national and international success since exploding into the elite diving echelon in 2006. She repeated her incredible Commonwealth Games success at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where at just 16 years of age, she bagged another silver medal with partner Briony Cole in the Synchronised 10m Platform, becoming the youngest Australian to win a medal in diving in Olympic history.

At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, Melissa again wowed the world with new partner Alex Croak, winning gold in the synchronised event. She also delivered an outstanding performance in the Individual 10m Platform, to win silver with 369.50 points, only just behind the Malaysian Champion Pandelela Rinong Pamg (371.05).

Melissa Wu – The BioMelissa Wu is an Australian diving sensation. Born on 3 May 1992, at 152cm and only 49kg, she has been diving at an elite level since thirteen years of age. She became the youngest diver in Australian history to win a national open title in 2006, and went on to medal at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games later that same year.

Now living in Sydney, Melissa is currently in training for her second Olympic campaign at NSWIS, the New South Wales Institute of Sport. Melissa competes in the Women’s 10m Individual Platform event, and also the Women’s 10m Synchronised Platform. Currently diving for the Perfect 10 Diving Club, she trains under coach Chava Sobrino, who is touted as one of the best in the world.

Melissa Wu – The BioThe Delhi Commonwealth Games were viewed as an important stepping-stone to the London 2012 Olympics, and, based on her recent incredible form and podium finishes, Melissa expects big results in London this year. Most recently, at the 2012 Olympic Trials in Adelaide, Melissa finished first and second for the Individual and Synchronised Events respectively.

Now, with less than 100 days to go, Melissa is on track to reach her ultimate goal of Individual Olympic Gold in July.

Melissa is of Chinese descent and is very close with her family. Interestingly, her sister Kirsten also represented Australia at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India in weightlifting.

Currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (Media) at Macquarie University and also a Certificate IV in Business (Fashion) at The Fashion Institute, the diving superstar is a dedicated student, who occasionally relaxes with a stint on the piano and drums. She admits that probably the only thing she can’t do is cook, and that her specialty in the kitchen is keeping away from it!

 

Melissa Wu – Accolades • 2006: Gold, National Championships; Gold, Junior

World Championships; Silver, Commonwealth Games (Synchronised); Young Australian Female Athlete of the Year; Outstanding Young Achiever for the Commonwealth Sports Awards.

• 2007: Gold, National Championships (Individual and Synchronised)

• 2008: Silver, Beijing Olympics (Synchronised); Silver, Australian National Championships (Individual)

• 2009: Gold, Australian National Championships (Individual and Synchronised)

• 2010: Gold, Silver, Delhi Commonwealth Games (Synchronised and Individual respectively)

• 2011: Silver, FINA World Championships (Synchronised); Macquarie University Female Sport Athlete of the Year.

• 2012: Gold, Bronze, National Championships (Synchronised and Individual respectively)

Melissa Wu – The Press

Wu out to prove herselfAAP February 8, 2006 Sydney

Thirteen-year-old diving star Melissa Wu doesn't think she'll have any problems fitting in with the older athletes at the Commonwealth Games.

Wu seems likely to be the youngest Australian competing in Melbourne next month and at just 135 centimetres tall and weighing a meagre 28 kilograms, she'll also be one of the smallest.

Wu gained a place on the Australian diving team after last night outclassing Olympic medalists Loudy Tourky and Chantelle Newbery in the 10m platform to become the youngest diver in Australian history to win a national open title.

"I didn't really need it to sink in. I just knew I could do it beforehand," Wu said today. "It's pretty exciting to win still." Although official selection of the Commonwealth Games diving team takes place next Sunday, the first and second placed divers in the individual events receive automatic qualification as long as they pass certain points requirements.

Photo Source: John Donegan

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/news/diving/wu-out-to-prove-herself/2006/02/08/1139074277674.

html

Melissa Wu – The Press

Australian divers Melissa Wu, Briony Cole try for silver

Mike Coleman, 12 AUG 2008

AUSTRALIAN Olympic rookies Melissa Wu and Briony Cole have claimed the Olympic silver

medal in the women's synchronised 10m platform.

The Aussie pair was only be kept from gold by the mighty Chinese pair Xin Wang and Ruolin

Chen.The Chinese were dominant from the first dive but the Australians won a fight for the silver medal over Mexico, Germany and the United States. Our girls kept their nerve

in a huge final dive which pushed them beyond the Mexicans to the silver medal.Wu

and Cole jumped around after the results were announced, hugging each other, their coach and fellow diver Chantelle Newbery.

Read more: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/cole-and-wu-win-diving-silver/story-e6freyp0-1111117175482

Melissa Wu – The Press

Wu moves to turn silver into gold

Tom Lowry, January 18, 2010

OLYMPIC silver medalist Melissa Wu has moved to Sydney to join Matthew Mitcham and the coach regarded as one of the world's best, Chava Sobrino.

Wu's move, from the AIS in Brisbane to the NSW Institute of Sport squad, means Australia's top divers will now train together full-time.

''We're going to gain a lot from having two great role models here,'' Sobrino said at the Sydney Aquatic Centre yesterday. ''It's an amazing combination. Good coaching, great athletes and amazing facilities.’’

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/wu-moves-to-turn-silver-into-gold-20100118-mgr1.html#ixzz1svJZUrBR

Photo Source: Tamara Dean

Wu, Croak win diving goldLaine Clark, SMH 11 OCT 2010

A former gymnast has helped provide a spring in the step for the Australian diving team at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Alexandra Croak - who competed in artistic gymnastics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games - combined with Melissa Wu to win 10m synchro diving gold on Sunday.

It was world No.2 Australia's first diving gold in Delhi after Canada grabbed the first two on offer - women's 3m synchro and men's 1m springboard.

Melissa Wu – The Press

Photo Source: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images

Pint-sized Wu stood tall with former gymnast Croak (335.76) to finish ahead of Malaysia's Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Mun Yee Leong (328.38). Australia's Briony Cole and Anabelle Smith (325.50) took bronze.

Wu and Croak improved on the 10m synchro silver they won at Melbourne 2006.

Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/wu-croak-win-diving-gold-20101011-16e9d.html

Melissa Wu – The Press

Wu Wins Diving Thriller AAP and Diving Australia, 3 April 2012

Melissa Wu edged in front of the competition while another Olympic comeback hit rough waters with Loudy Wiggins out of contention for an individual dive at the London Games. The 33-year-old Wiggins finished fourth in the women's 10 metre final at the Olympic Nomination Trials in Adelaide on Tuesday. Hoping to make her fourth Olympics after missing the 2008 Beijing Games and returning to the sport in mid-2011, dual Olympic bronze medalist Wiggins was pipped by winner Melissa Wu.

“It has been a very stressful competition so far and I am very happy to win this final today,” Wu said. “Any of the five girls could easily have won today.... The lead changed several times in the final and I just managed to win by the slimmest of margins.”Wu (NSW) finished with a combined score of 1065.15

followed by Brittany Broben (QLD) with 1064.50.  A difference of 0.65 of a point. In third place was a

disappointed Alexandra Croak (NSW) scoring 1062.45. Wiggins (VIC) finished fourth 1062.05 and

Rachel Bugg (SA) was fifth scoring 1023.25.Wu, a silver medalist in Beijing four years ago in the 10m

synchronised, is a six-year national team veteran yet still to turn 20. "The Australian team is one of the

hardest to make," she said. “I have had my share of injuries over the years and it is all coming together

for me now. It will certainly give me confidence to be off to the Grand Prix meets in Canada and USA in early May and hopefully Olympic selection if I can

maintain my form.” Photo Source: Sportstar.comRead more: http://london2012.olympics.com.au/news/wu-wins-diving-thriller

• Calm, relaxed and focused

• Admires: Australian diver Alex Croak and boyfriend Brendan Jacquet (singer)

• Can’t live without: Family and online shopping

• Relaxes by: Playing the piano and the drums

• Loves: Fashion, movies and watching her boyfriend perform

• Studying: Bachelor of Arts (Media) at Macquarie University and also a Certificate IV in Business (Fashion) at The Fashion Institute.

Melissa Wu – Out of the Pool

Melissa Wu – The Contact

• Damian Triffitt, Managing Director

• Six Sides Management Group

• Suite 808, 147 Pirie Street

• Adelaide SA 5000

• +61 8 8223 6664

• +61 (0) 410 512 575

• damian@ssmg.com.au

• www.ssmg.com.au