Melissa Paige Li Kun Wu (born 3 May 1992) is an Australian diver who has represented Australia at five Olympic Games, winning a silver medal at the

2008 Olympic Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...

and a bronze medal at the

2020 Olympic Games The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. She has also represented Australia at five Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in 2010, 2018 and 2022 and silver medals in 2006 and 2010. Wu is a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder.

Early life and education

Melissa Paige Li Kun Wu was born on 3 May 1992 in

Penrith, New South Wales Penrith is a city in New South Wales, Australia, located in Greater Western Sydney, 55 kilometres (31 mi) west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Nepean River, on the outskirts of the Cumberland Plain. Its elevati ...

. Her father is of Chinese descent. Wu is a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder, where she has trained under Chava Sobrino.

Career

Wu began diving in 2003. The same year she fractured her

humerus bone The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...

in her left arm after accidentally landing on a trampoline, and had to halt training for six months. After winning a number of junior and state titles in 2004 and 2005, she won the individual 10-metre platform at the Australian Open Diving Championships in 2006. The win earned her a place on the team for the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, where she won a silver medal in the synchronised 10-metre platform with Alexandra Croak and finished fifth in the individual 10-metre platform. In 2008, along with

Briony Cole Briony Chastine "Bree" Cole (born 28 February 1983) is a retired Australian diver who won a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, silver and bronze medals at the 2007 World Championships and a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, a ...

, Wu won a silver medal at the

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

for the synchronised 10-metre platform, becoming the youngest Australian ever 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 the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth that was held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 201 ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, Wu won a gold medal in the synchronised 10-metre platform with her partner Alexandra Croak and a silver medal in the individual 10-metre platform. Wu placed fourth in the 10-metre individual platform at the

2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and fifth in the same event at the

2016 Olympic Games The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. Wu competed at the

2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...

on the Gold Coast, winning gold in the individual 10-metre platform and, with Teju Williamson, placing fourth in the synchronised 10-metre platform. Qualifying for her fourth Olympics, Wu competed in the individual 10-metre platform at the

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. She achieved a bronze medal. At the

2022 Commonwealth Games The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England betw ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, Wu teamed up with Charli Petrov in the synchronised 10-metre platform. Wu and Petrov achieved a gold medal. In June 2024, she competed at

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

in the Australian Open Championships. She won the Women’s 10-Metre Platform becoming the Australian Champion. The runner up was Ellie Cole who was 17 years old. Wu prepared herself for her fifth Olympics, this time in Paris. No other Australian diver has been to five games. There were eight other divers in the team including Ellie Cole. Both Wu and Cole represented Australia in the ten metre platform. Her club is the Perfect 10 Diving Club.

Recognition

In February 2025, Wang was invited to give the Wang Gungwu Lecture at the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

Personal life

Wu lives in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. Her nickname is "Woodles". She is the cousin of Australian

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player James Stannard and the second cousin of Australian runner

Jana Pittman Jana Pittman (born 9 November 1982) is an Australian former athlete. During her athletic career Pittman specialised in the 400 metres run and 400-metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 2007. ...

. Her brother, Joshua, and sister, Madeline, both train in weightlifting. Wu is tall. She has a tattoo of the Olympic rings shaped as hearts on her right leg. She also has a tattoo across her left rib featuring the words "only as much as I dream can I be".

References

External links