07/13/2001

Top Aussie Dive Team Announced for Games

The eight-member Australian diving team announced for the 2001 Goodwill Games today is one of the strongest ever and features a swag of Olympic and Goodwill Games medallists.

Australian Olympic bronze medallists Loudy Tourky, Rebecca Gilmore and Robert Newbery will compete against top international stars, including US Olympic champion Laura Wilkinson, from September 7 - 9 at Chandler Aquatic Centre.

Other major international divers competing at the Games include Sydney Olympic gold medallists Dmitri Sautin, Vera Ilyna and Yuliya Pakhalina (all of Russia).

Former Russian diver and new Australian citizen Irina Lashko will compete for Australia for the first time in a major international multi-sport event at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Lashko was a triple medallist at the last Goodwill Games in New York in 1998, winning gold medals in the women's 1 metre (m) springboard and 3m synchronised events and bronze in the 3m springboard event.

Lashko is also a veteran Olympian, taking out silver medals in the women's 3m springboard event at both Atlanta and Barcelona.

The other medal winner in the Australian team is Chantelle Michell, who won silver in the women's 3m springboard event at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York.

Robert Newbery will compete in all five men's diving events at the 2001 Goodwill Games and is looking forward to taking on the world's top male divers, including Olympic silver medallist Fernando Platas from Mexico.

``It's going to be a very tough competition featuring the best divers in the world, but we should be able to hold our own against them,'' Newbery said.

``I train at Chandler Aquatic Centre, so it's going to be great competing in a major international competition in front of a home town crowd and in a pool I am so used to.''

The 2001 Goodwill Games diving competition will feature up to 42 men and 42 women competing for a total prize purse of $137,000 (USD).

In addition to Australia, top diving teams from Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States will compete.

Other international divers competing at the Goodwill Games include Anna Lindberg (Sweden) and Ukrainian pair Ganna Sorokina and Olena Zhupina who won bronze in the 3m synchronised event at the Sydney Olympics.

The full line-up of the Australian diving team for the 2001 Goodwill Games is:

To arrange interviews with members of the Australian diving team please contact the 2001 Goodwill Games on the numbers listed below.

Media information:
Nikki Todd, 2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane
Ph: 07 3233 2045 (direct) / Mobile: 0408 011 204
E-mail: nikki.todd@2001gwgbrisbane.com.au

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