Australian diving champ Melissa Wu to retire 18 years after Commonwealth Games debut

She made her Commonwealth Games debut as a 13-year-old and after making Olympics history twice, Melissa Wu is heading into retirement.

Nearly two decades after she burst on to the international scene as a 13-year-old and with a history-making five Olympics under her belt, diving champion Melissa Wu has announced her retirement.

Wu, a two-time Olympic medallist, made history at last year’s Paris Olympic Games as the first Australian diver to compete at five Olympics.

Now 32, and having battled injuries that forced epic comebacks, Wu said she left the sport without any regret.

“When I started out at 13, I could never have imagined my career would last this long,” she said.

“I’ve been so lucky to have a long career, and even though I dealt with a lot of injuries, I went to five consecutive Olympics.

“You can’t ask for anything better than that. I’m fortunate because while I’m retiring, I feel as though I didn’t leave any stone unturned. It’s a great way to walk away.”

Melissa Wu competed at five Olympics. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Wu, who was just 13 when she competed in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, went on to win Olympic silver and bronze but conceded she knew the Paris 2024 Olympic Games would be her swan song after overcoming a series of debilitating injuries in the lead-up to the competition where she finished 11th.

“I’ve been very lucky to have such a long career,” Wu said. “I’d gone into the previous Olympics never thinking about retiring, but I realised Paris would be my last.

Congrats Melissa Wu on your remarkable career! An inspiration 💚💛

💚 5x Olympian
💛 5x Olympic finalist
💚 2x Olympic medallist 🥈🥉
💛 5x Comm Games medallist 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈
🏅 68x international diving medals‼️
🇦🇺 @CommGamesAUS Closing Ceremony Flag Bearer@DivingAUS | @NSWISpic.twitter.com/wh9Lzi6Zvb

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) February 12, 2025

“When I arrived in Paris I was at a place where the pressure was off me – well, a little bit – and that allowed me to soak it all in. It was a hard year in terms of my qualifying for the team. There were some tough injuries, and knowing how hard it was to make Paris made me decide to make sure I savoured it.”

Wu won silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and competed in the final at all five Olympics she competed in.

She won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games for the 10m synchro with Briony Cole and became Australia’s youngest diver, at 16, to win an Olympic medal.

Wu won silver at the Beijing Olympics with Briony Cole at age 16.

Wu then won Olympic bronze at Tokyo, 13 years after her Beijing triumph, to go with three Commonwealth Games gold and two silver medals.

She also carried Australia’s flag at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Birmingham Games.

“I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved,” Wu said.

“As an athlete I hope my performances continue to inspire the next generation of all athletes, not just divers. I’d like to think my career shows athletes you can have longevity, and that you can do it at any age. I always wanted to keep giving back – and I still do.”

Originally published as Australian diving champ Melissa Wu to retire 18 years after Commonwealth Games debut