Paris 2024: Australian diver Maddison Keeney ‘just happy to be’ in Paris diving for gold

After a challenging few years dealing with mental health issues and injuries, Aussie diver Maddison Keeney is simply happy to be at the Paris Olympics as she gets set to dive for gold on Friday.

Going into the biggest event of their career, an Olympic medal on the line – most would be nervous or anxious but springboard diver Maddison Keeney is simply happy.

For Keeney being happy is a bigger win than going home with a shiny medal around her neck.

It would be a nice bonus but after a two-year battle with serious mental health issues and injuries Keeney is happy to be happy.

“I’m just happy to be here, I think the last few years have been really transformative for me deep within myself and I’m just happy,” she said.

“No matter the outcome I’m happy, I’m going to give it all I’ve got and keep riding this wave of loving diving and loving life.”

The 28-year-old was impressive off the springboard in the semi-final collecting a total of 334.70 points from the judges across her five dives to finish second.

Maddison Keeney finished second in the semi-final. Picture: AFP

Like the semi-final she once again finished ahead of reigning world champion Chang Yani.

It means Keeney goes into the final a medal favourite.

Australia have never won an Olympic medal in the 3m springboard – men’s or women’s.

Keeney is full of confidence and knows she has the potential to be the first – but that isn’t what she is focusing on.

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Her goal is to just be satisfied and consistent with her dives -it is how she has tackled this whole competition.

Keeney’s composure was on full show in the lead up to her fifth dive.

The previous diver, Mexico’s Aranza Vazquez – who had been in finals contention, missed her take off and landed almost flat on her back in the pool.

Vazquez petitioned for a re-dive, which was denied, but led to a lengthy delay and disrupted Keeney’s pre-dive routine.

Can Maddison Keeney win gold in Paris? Getty Images)

“I had to take the edge off a little bit and I was just chilling around, it was hard to refocus up again but I’m proud of how I handled it,” she said,

Keeney scored 71.40 points from her final dive – she had scored 81.60 for the same dive in the heats the previous day. If she had managed to execute it the same in the semi-final she would have finished in first – well clear of China’s Chen Yiwen.

A very promising sign for the final.

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Fellow Alysha Koloi did not progress to the final.

The Olympic debutant started really strong, but two 40 point dives in the third and fourth round were hard to recover from in such a competitive field. A strong 58.50 point dive in the final round was not enough to put her through.

Keeney will battle for an Olympic medal in the final from 11pm Friday (AEST).