Last week, sixteen Queensland athletes travelled down to Adelaide to compete at the 2023 Australian Elite Junior Championships from July 6 - 9. 

This was the largest Queensland contingent to attend a Junior nationals in recent memory and our Queensland Team was also the largest of any representative team there!

Across the 4 days of competition, our athletes were in incredible form: earning a grand total of 10 Gold, 7 Silver and 3 Bronze medals! This impressive haul also ranked Queensland on top of the Championship’s State medal tally.

These performances were further highlighted by James Wood (Junior B Boys), Lincoln Eden (Junior C Boys) and Mila Klyne (Junior D Girls) all earning Diving Australia (DA) Diver of the Year Awards for their respective age groups. In addition to this, Mila was also recognised as the 2023 recipient of the DA Best New Talent Award.

Diving Queensland would like to congratulate all athletes that attended and competed at these Championships. The performances of all team members, including our coaches, shine an exciting light on the development and direction of Junior diving in Queensland and we couldn’t be more proud of you and your achievements.

Beyond our athlete's contributions in the pool, our community was also well represented by Caitlyn Bowell, Jane Bowell, Kevin Hall, Andrea Thomas and Toni Toohey who all volunteered their time and expertise to the seamless delivery of these Championships. As such, DQ would also like to say a huge thank you to the volunteers and officials, both from Queensland and around Australia, who made this event the spectacle that it was!

2023 Australian Elite Junior Championships - Queensland State Representatives

Junior A: Chiara Spiccia, Jonah Turner.

Junior B: Lana Coleman, Coco Jackson, Jayla Thirkettle, Aleisha Thomas, Jasmin Visser, Kobi White, James Wood.

Junior C: Matilda Briggs, Tiffany Cooper, Lincoln Eden, Piper Howard, Max Huttu.

Junior D: Mila Klyne, Melinda-Jane Moran.

Coaches: Jeff Arbon, Vyninka Arlow, Edwin Jongejans, Amber Van Gool.

Event Volunteers: Caitlyn Bowell, Jane Bowell, Kevin Hall, Andrea Thomas, Toni Toohey.