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Melissa Wu Personal information Full name: Melissa Paige Wu Nickname(s): Mel or Woodles Country Represented: Australia Former Country(ies) Represented: Australia Date of birth: 3 May 1992 (1992-05-03) (age 17) Place of birth: Sydney, Australia Hometown: Hawkesbury area NSW, Australia Residence: Sydney, Australia Height: 151cm Event(s): 10m platform, 10m synchro Years on National Team: 3 Club: Perfect 10 Diving Club /NSWIS Synchro Partner: Briony Cole Former Synchro Partner(s): Alexandra Croak Head coach(es): Chava Sobrino

Medal record Women's Diving Competitor for  Australia Olympic Games Silver 2008 Beijing 10m Synchronized Platform World Championships Silver 2007 Melbourne 10m Synchronized Platform Commonwealth Games Silver 2006 Melbourne 10m Synchronized Platform

Melissa Wu (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.

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 Communication/Journalism by distance (Griffith University).

Country music singer John Williamson wrote and recorded a song about Melissa called "Little Swallow, Baby Wu" during the sessions for his "Hillbilly Road" album. The song has yet to see an official release.

Wu lives in Sydney and is the second cousin to Australian hurdler Jana Rawlinson. ^[1]

References

• esp(Elite Sports Properties)Managing Agent
• ABC Commonwealth Games profile