Emerging Ormiston diver Cassiel Rousseau has adjusted his goals to aim for the 2020 Olympic Games

It was love at first dive when potential Olympic diver Cassiel Rousseau finally took his first plunge into the still, blue waters of the Chandler Aquatic Centre. But boy it took some work to get him to the edge of the diving board. Andrew Dawson reports.

It was love at first dive when Ormiston’s Cassiel Rousseau finally took his first plunge into the still, blue waters of the Chandler Aquatic Centre.

But boy it took some work to get him to the edge of the diving board.

Rousseau, 17, one of the most promising athletes at the Chandler-based AIS Diving program, had grown tired of gymnastics and wanted a break from not only gymnastics, but all sport.

But his mum was having none of it and insisted he must stay active.

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“At first I hated the thought of doing diving,’’ Rousseau said.

“But mum still wanted me to do a sport.

“I hated the thought of diving but my sister was trialling for diving and mum said: ‘You had better go’. She did not force me to do it, but she really wanted me to give it a shot.

“And after that I trialled and I really loved it.

“It really taught me to be open minded.’’

Cassiel Rousseau enjoying Tallebudgera.

That was less than 18 months ago and Rousseau, a past student of Mansfield State School and Cleveland District State High School, has turned out to be a Mr Natural.

“After the first trial I loved it,’’ he said.

Not that there was not an element of fear in his body when he walked toward the end of the diving board.

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“They got me to jump the 5m platform and that was scary,’’ he said.

“Then the 7.5m and then the 10m

“After the 10m I thought ‘I never want to do this’. It is really scary. But then it was really fun.’’

He said moving from gymnastics to diving was a natural fit for him.

It is little surprise, therefore, that his enjoyment of diving has been reflected in his eye-catching performances.

Cassiel Rousseau as a child on the gymnastics mat.

After just seven months of diving he was the junior nationals 3m springboard champion and was qualified for the junior world championships, only to withdraw through injury.

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But it was at last year’s nationals opens when he really made the diving fraternity sit up and take notice when he won the 10m at his first ever platform competition.

He beat Domonic Bedggood, the 10m Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

As a result of that performance, Rousseau has adjusted his expectations.

“When I started diving, the goal was for me to aim for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but since everything that has happened last year, the goal is Tokyo (2020),’’ said the former Robertson Gymnastics member.