How social media and a special home gym is inspiring Australian diver Melissa Wu’s gold medal tilt at Tokyo

Australian diver Melissa Wu becomes just the third Australian diver to go to four Olympics as she prepares for this year’s Tokyo Games.

Veteran Australian diver Melissa Wu will rely on social media and her special home gym in a bid to brush aside Covid-19 challenges and win a maiden Olympic gold medal at this year’s Tokyo Games.

Wu, who won a silver medal in the 10m synchro platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was one of seven athletes named in the Australian diving team for Tokyo in Sydney on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old is the team’s most experienced member heading into her fourth Olympics in Japan.

Wu becomes just the third Australian diver to go to four Games, and she is relishing the role of being the senior voice within the squad during an unprecedented buildup to Tokyo amid a global pandemic.

Diving Australia president Michael Murphy presents a Tokyo robe to Melissa Wu. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

With all competitions, including the 2021 World Cup in Tokyo, cancelled, divers have relied on alternative training measures to prepare for the Olympics.

Thankfully, Wu has an impressive home gym to keep training, while she regularly monitors social media to track her global competitors.

“I think the whole world has had to prepare like that,” Wu said.

“We haven’t been able to have competitions now for a few years, so social media helps you keep an eye on things to suss out the competition.

“It has been a challenging time, especially in diving without a pool and diving boards.

“It is difficult to practise diving, but I’m pretty lucky that I’ve got a good home gym, so I was pretty well set up with a trampoline and crash mats.

“Hopefully, that pays off.”

Australian divers Nikita Hains, Esther Qin, Cassiel Rousseau, Sam Fricker, Anabelle Smith, Shixin Li and Melissa Wu have earned their tickets to Tokyo. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

The Australian diving team also features Olympic bronze medallist Anabelle Smith and Rio Olympian Esther Qin, while Nikita Hains, Cassiel Rousseau, Sam Fricker and Shixin Li will all make their Olympic debuts.

Australia’s bungled Covid-19 vaccine rollout also ruled out up to nine members of the national diving team because they didn’t get their shots in time.

Wu, though, isn’t concerned about any negativity surrounding the performance of the reduced seven-member team.

“I don’t think the size of the team will impact us at all,” she said.

“I think it is a really strong team of seven, and we will be able to have that time where we are a lot closer, and we can help each other through any challenges that arise during the Games.”

Originally published as How social media and a special home gym is inspiring Australian diver Melissa Wu’s gold medal tilt at Tokyo