New Zealand's Shaye Boddington will compete for a Commonwealth Games diving medal tonight, continuing her rapid comeback after a 13-year absence from the sport.
Shaye Boddington prepares to dive during the women's 1m springboard qualifying round Photo: Photosport NZ
Boddington qualified for the women's 1m springboard final in ninth place, posting a set of solid, if not spectacular, scores.
"It was quite safe diving," she said afterwards.
"I didn't really let my power come through completely but it was pretty consistent."
The 31-year-old has only been back in training for about 18 months, after a chance encounter with current coach Steve Gladding at an Auckland pool.
She had qualified for the 2002 Commonwealth Games when she was 17, but a serious eating disorder forced her to end her diving career not long afterwards.
Finally competing in a Games, she had to battle with nerves during qualifying, she said.
"My first dive, I was so wobbly … but I managed to pull it together."
Making the final was a bonus but she was hoping to improve on this morning's performance, she said.
"Every experience is one that I'm just trying to soak in and be grateful for.
"As long as I can just enjoy the atmosphere rather than getting caught up in the nerves, then I know I can still do better."
Boddington will be the sole New Zealander competing, after teammate Lizzie Cui slipped on the board during a dive in the qualifying round, stunning spectators and posting a zero score.
Until that point, Cui had been in eighth place and set to qualify for the final comfortably.
An upset Cui said she was just as shocked as everyone else.
"I ended up slipping off the board so I didn't actually get any jump, and from that point it's very hard to complete the dive.
"I know that it's not because of my ability that I didn't make the final, it's because of circumstances that unfortunately happen sometimes in our sport and I can't control that."
Cui, together with Yu Qian Goh, came fourth in the women's 3m synchronised diving final earlier in the week.
She has one more chance tomorrow, in the women's 3m springboard event.
"I'm just going to learn from it, keep my chin up and move forward," she said.
