Original Story: WAIS

In late November, Western Australian divers Tamara Irvine and Nikita Hains will represent Australia at the FINA World Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia. 

The sport in WA could be set for a golden generation after home-grown talent Maddison Keeney became the first diver from the state to win an Olympic medal last August after she teamed with Annabelle Smith for bronze in the women’s 3m springboard in Rio. 

She became the first graduate of the WAIS Diving Program – which commenced operation in 2009 – to earn Olympic selection. Following her achievements in Brazil, there is now a small, but richly talented stable of athletes in the current WAIS environment hoping to emulate her feats.

16 year-olds Irvine and Hains will take the first steps towards that legacy when they compete in Russia on their World Championship debut, against the elite cream of international diving's junior crop. 

Despite being the same age, the pair have travelled different paths in their development to Kazan, with Irvine having crafted her skills over many years in the sport, whilst Hains has made the switch from gymnastics in the past 24 months. 

Irvine admitted being impressed with the rapid rise of her teammate but said selection in Russia was just reward for her dedication to diving. 

"I’ve been in the sport a lot longer than Nikita has and I’ve seen her progress really quickly, but for me it’s nice to see how I’ve been improving, looking back on my results, I’ve been really happy with how I’ve been going and progressing, and to make Junior Worlds has been a great way to see how far I’ve come,” she said. 

Hains provided something of a shock at this year’s Olympic Diving Trials when she qualified for the final of the 10m Platform in third place, despite being an unheralded 15 year-old. Irvine went on to take fourth place in the final, with Hains in seventh, but her form throughout impressed on-lookers, with her campaign – supported by notable junior results in overseas competition – landing her a nomination for the 2016 WAIS Junior Athlete of the Year. 

Speaking of her breakthrough year, Hains said; "It’s been so rewarding, I didn’t expect it. Coming from gym and I haven’t been diving very long but it’s been a really good journey and I’m hoping that next year follows the same path,” she said. 

The teen talent harbours bold ambitions for 2017 and beyond. 

"I’m hoping to make the world champs, but that’s a long stretch for me,” said the Inglewood resident. "Pretty much senior world cups and preparing for Gold Coast (2018 Commonwealth Games).”

The pair are coached by diving great Mat Helm, who himself was a world champion and Olympic silver medallist (Athens 2004). He told InsideWAIS  last May, that he was a perfectionist as an athlete and now holds similar standards in coaching. 

The duo have worked with Helm for nine months at their training base in Mt Claremont and hold their coach in high regard. 

"He’s a great coach,” Hains said. "I think we all really work well with him and we all have a really good group mentality, he’s very good with communication.”

Hains' view on Helm’s communication skills was a point expanded by Irvine. 

"He’s very good at adapting to each athlete’s needs. For me, I sometimes need to be told what to do more, and he’s been really good at adapting to that, where as other athletes get feedback in different ways and he’s really good at accommodating to each,” she said. "He’s helped us so much.”

Irvine and Hains will compete in the individual 10m platform in Russia, with the Australian camp (including Mat Helm on coaching staff) first heading to Singapore for a warm-up competition. 

The Junior World Championships run from 29 Nov – 4 Dec. This is followed by a national Grand Prix event on the Gold Coast, capping a busy three week period for the squad.