Australian diving team’s medal hopes have taken a plunge as teenage sensation is ruled out

Australia’s diving medal hopes have taken a hit as Commonwealth Games gold medallist and teenage sensation, Charli Petrov is ruled out of the Paris Olympics with niggling injury.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist and teenage sensation Charli Petrov, has been ruled out of the Olympics. Picture: Mark Stewart

Teenage diving sensation Charli Petrov, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games alongside Melissa Wu, has been ruled out of the Olympics due to a back injury.

The 16-year-old has hardly competed since Birmingham – due to a stress fracture in her back.

She was back diving earlier this year – even travelling with the team to the Worlds in Doha but wasn’t cleared to compete.

Diving Australia’s Olympic Trials are due to be held in Adelaide early next month and Petrov isn’t on the list of athletes set to compete.

There is just one spot up for grabs in the women’s 10m platform after Australia failed to qualify a quota spot for Paris in the synchronised. Australia might be granted a second quota spot depending on international qualification regulations regarding double ups between the individual and synchronised event – but Diving Australia won’t know for sure until much closer to the Olympics.

Charli Petrov and Melissa Wu won’t have the chance to take their Commonwealth Games gold medal performance to Paris. Picture: Andy Buchanan / AFP

It means diving veteran Melissa Wu, 32, will have to compete as an individual if she wants to qualify for her fifth Olympics.

And score the best aggregate score at the trials to earn a ticket to Paris.

Wu finished third at the Tokyo Olympics and had put her individual diving career on hold after injuring her back post Games while on reality TV show SAS Australia.

She teamed up with Petrov just months out from the Commonwealth Games – the duo winning gold.

Petrov’s injury forced Wu to return to the individual event in order to keep her Games hopes alive

Wu competed as an individual for the first time since Tokyo in February at the World Championships – finishing 12th in the final and securing the all important second quota spot for Australia.

Nikita Hains could be the one to replace Petrov and team up with Melissa Wu to compete in Paris. Picture: Oli SCARFF / AFP

Wu’s spot in the team is far from locked in – she will have to take on a number of up and coming divers at the trials next month.

It will be one of the most hotly contested events at the trials.

Nikita Hains, who finished 21st at the Tokyo Olympics in the individual event, and paired up with Wu at the World Championships will be determined to have a second crack at the Games.

Emily Meaney finished fifth at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the individual and Laura Hingston who only just missed out on qualifying for Worlds.

Then there is Ellie Cole, the 17-year-old Sydney diver who just won two gold medals at the American Cup in the individual and synchronised event.

The Diving Australia Olympic trials run from June 3-9 in Adelaide.

Originally published as Australian diving team’s medal hopes have taken a plunge as teenage sensation is ruled out