Thursday, October 20, 2011

Melissa Wu


Melissa Wu biography
Melissa Paige Wu (traditional Chinese: 伍麗群, born 3 May 1992 in Sydney, NSW) is an Australian diver who has won silver medals at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Her father is of Chinese descent.
Wu began diving only in 2003 . After winning a number of junior and state titles in 2004 and 2005, her first big breakthrough came with a win in the 10m platform at the Australian Open Diving Championships in 2006 where she finished ahead of Olympic medallists Chantelle Newbery and Loudy Tourky. The win earned her a place on the Commonwealth Games team where she won a silver medal on the synchronised 10m platform with Alexandra Croak and finished fifth in the individual 10m platform.
In 2007, she defended her 10m platform title at the Australian Open and was selected for the World Championships where she won silver in the synchronised 10m platform and finished 11th in the individual event.
In 2008, along with Briony Cole, Wu won a Silver Medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for the synchronized 10m platform, becoming the youngest Australian ever in history to win an Olympic medal in diving. She also competed in the Women's 10 metre platform, making it into the finals, ending up ranked sixth out of twelve competitors. At age 16 she has medalled in every major international diving competition.
In 2010 at the Delhi Commonwealth Games, Wu won a gold medal in the synchronised 10m platform with her partner Alexandra Croak and a silver medal in the women's 10m individual.
Wu attended Coverdale Christian School for her primary education then during her high school education she attended Christian Outreach College Brisbane, until 2008 where she at the end of grade 9 took on home schooling, Brisbane school of distance education (BSDE). She is currently completing a Bachelor of Media at Macquarie University, Sydney.
Country music singer John Williamson wrote and recorded a song about Wu called "Little Swallow, Baby Wu" during the sessions for his "Hillbilly Road" album. The song has yet to see an official release.
Wu is Australia's youngest Olympic diver.
Wu lives in Sydney. She is the cousin of Australian Rugby 7's player, James Stannard, and she is the second cousin of Australian hurdler Jana Rawlinson.
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu
Melissa Wu 207 at 2007 Nationals
Olympic heroes dive into Hong Kong