Tokyo Olympian, Sam Fricker, had a clean sweep of events at the NSW diving championships at Homebush! However, he was excited just to be back in the pool post-injury. What followed was a string of injuries, including a broken ankle and back issue.
The 19-year-old is now turning his focus towards qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July and August.
“It’s been really rough since the Games but this last month has been better and I had about three weeks of really good training leading into this event,” Fricker told the Newcastle Herald.
“But to still go out there and get the result I did was pleasing. I was hoping to do well but I didn’t expect to do that well.”
Fricker won the 10-metre platform, 3m springboard, 1m springboard and 3m synchronised NSW titles at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre last weekend.
“I was just so excited and really happy to be able to compete again,” Fricker said.
“I wasn’t too concerned about my performance. I just wanted to dive, to see what I needed to work on.
“Coming into Tokyo, I was only doing platform because that was my best shot at the Olympics, so this was my first springboard competition in probably years.
“That was always important for me because I’m going to try to make the Commonwealth Games for springboard as well as platform, so I was particularly happy about my springboard performance.”
Fricker was back in Newcastle for diving practice at Lambton Pool this month and will spend the next 10 weeks training for the Australian championships in Melbourne in May, which will double as Commonwealth Games selection trials.
“I just missed out on the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games four years ago, so I’ve got the fire to make it this year,” he said.
Good luck Sam, we are wishing all the best!
Picture: Jonathan Carroll
Article credit: Newcastle Herald