BY Bendigo Advertiser.

BENDIGO teenager Bree Mellberg has qualified to compete in the platform and 1 m springboard at next month’s Australian open diving championships in Adelaide.

The Melbourne-based ace was in superb form at the Victorian Open at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Bree, 17, has had to overcome a fear of heights to become a platform diver.

On the platform, Bree placed fourth, but it could have been a third.

An error on the dive sheet, submitted before the competition, meant the teenager was to attempt a dive she had never done off the platform.

‘‘I couldn’t believe it when they called out the numbers and I realised I had written them back to front,’’ Bree recalled.

After frantic discussions, Bree was able to complete the originally intended dive, a back 2sfr1/2 somersault with a half-twist, but a `failed dive’ was recorded and no points given.

‘‘Everyone was really sympathetic, but the rules are the rules.

‘‘I’m just so glad I was not depending on that dive to qualify, and I guess this is the right end of my career to make that sort of mistake.’’

Bree won bronze in the junior 1 m and 3 m, and qualified to compete for the open 1 m event at the nationals.

‘‘It was disappointing not to qualify for the open 3 m, but I have been competing for less than two years and achieved so much in a short time.

‘‘This next competition will be really inspiring,’’ Bree said of the Adelaide campaign.

‘‘The best divers in Ausralia will be there.’’

Bree first competed with the Bendigo YM Diving Club where Heather Tyter is coach of the Bendigo Aquatic Centre-based squad.

Bree is now training with the Peter Panayi-coached squad at MSAC and maintaining her link with Bendigo YMCA Divers.

The teenager is facing a hectic year, not just in diving and early morning training sessions, but also completing secondary school studies.

When asked about Christmas holidays, Bree replied: ‘‘I think I will have two days off training at Christmas and then it will be full-on preparing for Adelaide.

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