Dive Queen Conquers Past Demons

As Maddison Keeney prepared to take her last dive in the women's 1m springboard final at the World Aquatics Championships on July 26, the memory of a botched dive at the 2015 edition came up in her mind.

- Kimberly Kwek

Back then in Kazan, Russia, nerves got the better of her and she fell off the board, earning zero points as a podium finish slipped from her grasp and she plummeted to the bottom of the 12-diver field.

This time, however, Keeney was amused, not mortified at the memory.

Unfazed, the 29-year-old delivered her final dive, a forward two and a half somersaults with one twist in the pike position to earn 72 points, bringing her total to 308.00 to secure her second world title in the event after her 2017 victory.

China's Li Yajie (290.25) and Italy's Chiara Pellacani (270.80) placed second and third respectively at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

Singapore's Ashlee Tan (196.85) and Fong Kay Yian (184.35) finished 40th and 45th.

Keeney said: "I actually did think about it and I laughed a bit to myself because in the past, that would have really affected me mentally, making me think about other things, getting nervous about whether I might fall off again.