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Anabelle SMITH
Sport Diving
NOC Australia   
GenderWomen
Born03 Feb 1993 in Melbourne, AUS
Height1.61 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
 Melbourne, VIC, AUS
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
 Victorian Institute of Sport [VIS]: Melbourne, VIC, AUS
General Interest
Injuries
 In October 2015 a rib injury forced her to pull out of an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (rio2016.olympics.com.au, 26 Oct 2015)

She crushed her finger in a gym training incident in 2013. She returned to the sport in June that year, having been out of the water for three months. (au.sports.yahoo.com, 02 Jun 2013)

She sprained her ankle in December 2008. (thesportsvault.com.au, 14 May 2012)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
 She was inspired to try diving after watching the sport on television during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. "I was the sort of kid in my backyard, teaching myself backflips on my trampoline and always had that aerial awareness. Diving is different and challenging and not many people really know about it. One day my parents took me to a diving holiday programme. My cousin tried diving before and I was kind of interested, so I gave that a go. Some of the coaches there saw that I had some natural talent and looked like I had potential. It just really skyrocketed from there."
General Interest
Hero / Idol
 US basketball player Stephen Curry, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman. (vis.org.au, 01 May 2018; gc2018.com, 01 Apr 2018)
Awards and honours
 She was named Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Year by the Victorian Institute of Sport in Australia in nine consecutive years between 2011 and 2019. (vis.org.au, 28 Oct 2019)

She received the Sarah Tait Spirit Award at the 2016 Victorian Institute of Sport Awards of Excellence evening. (Victorian Institute of Sport Facebook page, 01 Dec 2016)

She was named the 2009 Australian Junior Elite Female Diver of the Year. (Australian Commonwealth Games Team Handbook, 2010)
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
 She began diving in 2005 in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Further Personal Information
Occupation
 Athlete, Customer Service, Motivational Speaker
General Interest
Nicknames
 Belle (rio2016.olympics.com.au, 07 Aug 2016)
Further Personal Information
Higher education
 Exercise and Health Science - Australian Catholic University: Australia
Languages
 English
General Interest
Other information
 EARLY DAYS
She says the time she spent away from her family while preparing for her first Olympic Games in 2012 was a turning point for her as a person and athlete. "18 months prior [to the 2012 Olympic Games], I moved away from home. I have always been super independent and self-sufficient, but I also am a huge family girl and love being home. But moving to be closer to the national team programme was essential for my diving career and helped me achieve my goal of making my first Olympics. However, I struggled really badly at stages and found myself in some dark places. I internalised a lot because I didn't want anyone to worry about me, but it was really, really hard. I eventually moved back home to Melbourne and reached out for professional help. We began to break down the beliefs I had formed about myself during the hard times and it made me understand why I had begun to think or feel in a certain way. It was a wonderful learning and healing process and I am proud of the strong, independent, passionate, and driven woman I have become today. My sport is great, but it is not my everything. My family is my everything and so I cherish that more now than I ever did in the past." (exclusiveinsight.com, 19 Mar 2019)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied algebra and trigonometry through Open Universities Australia and the University of South Australia. "The confidence study provides me in knowing that I can continue to grow my career when I retire from elite sport is really comforting. Studying online has enabled me to pursue my studies and be overseas to compete at the same time. I feel like I'm at the end half of my career [speaking in 2018]. I think I'll take a break [from studying after graduating university] and just focus on the rest of my diving career, and when that's all over I have to enter the real world, start looking for work. But I'll definitely stay in this sporting field." (sbs.com.au, 28 Nov 2018; open.edu.au, 20 Apr 2017)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2021 she was appointed as a mental fitness ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport [AIS]. She has also been a member of the AIS Athlete Advisory Committee. (Australian Institute of Sport Facebook page, 05 Nov 2021; diving.org.au, 04 Nov 2021; anabellesmith.net, 21 Oct 2020; ais.gov.au, 19 Nov 2019)
Hobbies
 Sports, travel, supporting Australian rules football team Richmond. (gc2018.com, 01 Apr 2018)
Memorable sporting achievement
 Winning a bronze medal in 3m synchronised springboard at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (gc2018.com, 01 Apr 2018)
Most influential person in career
 Her parents. (gc2018.com, 01 Apr 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto
 "As an athlete, I constantly strive for progress. At training, if I am not moving forward, I'm moving backwards. If I hit a plateau or feel stagnant, it usually results in me losing motivation. So I do everything I can to find improvement every day." (anabellesmith.net, 21 Oct 2020)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach
 Andy Banks [national]

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
14 2021 Tokyo, JPN 3m Springboard 285.60
3 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 3m Springboard Synchro  
5 2012 London, ENG 3m Springboard Synchro 304.95
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
2 2024 Doha, QAT 3m Springboard Synchro 300.45 
3 2022 Budapest, HUN 3m Springboard Synchro 294.12
6 2019 Gwangju, KOR 3m Springboard Synchro 278.13
11 2017 Budapest, HUN 3m Springboard 268.95
4 2017 Budapest, HUN 3m Springboard Synchro 301.23
9 2013 Barcelona, ESP 3m Springboard 320.25
Preliminary round 2011 Shanghai, CHN 3m Springboard 256.50
3 2011 Shanghai, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 306.90
Grand Prix
Rank Year Venue Event Result
2 2019 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard 308.10
2 2019 Mission Viejo, CA, USA 10m Platform Synchro 290.64
1 2018 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard Synchro 280.56
2 2017 Gatineau, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 317.35
3 2017 Gatineau, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 279.00
7 2017 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard 246.30
4 2017 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard Synchro 224.25
6 2016 Gatineau, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 269.90
3 2016 Gatineau, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 397.39
8 2016 Rostock, GER 3m Springboard 300.65
13 2015 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard 288.60
3 2015 Gold Coast, QLD, AUS 3m Springboard Synchro 294.18
6 2015 Madrid, ESP 3m Springboard 272.05
13 2014   3m Springboard  
5 2014 Madrid, ESP 3m Springboard 283.70
1 2014 Madrid, ESP 3m Springboard Synchro 309.66
7 2014 San Juan, PUR 3m Springboard 291.00
19 2012   3m Springboard  
3 2012 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 3m Springboard Synchro 301.20
2 2012 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 318.60
28 2011   3m Springboard  
6 2011 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 10m Platform Synchro 263.70
6 2011 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 307.65
3 2011 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 303.30
3 2010   3m Springboard 336.00
6 2010 Madrid, ESP 10m Platform 277.70
1 2010 Madrid, ESP 10m Platform Synchro 306.30
7 2010 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 295.80
10 2010 Rostock, GER 3m Springboard 273.10
33 2009   10m Platform  
5 2009 Madrid, ESP 3m Springboard Synchro 261.00
9 2009 Montreal, CAN 10m Platform 294.25
34 2008   10m Platform  
7 2008 Rome, ITA 10m Platform 273.70
World Series
Rank Year Venue Event Result
3 2020   3m Springboard  
3 2020 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 317.25
5 2020 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 273.63
2 2019 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 300.93
4 2019 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 293.10
2 2019 Kazan, RUS 3m Springboard Synchro 283.98
1 2019 London, ENG 3m Springboard Synchro 323.70
3 2019 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 303.39
6 2019 Montreal, QC, CAN 10m Platform Synchro 286.02
5 2019 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 295.35
8 2019 Sagamihara, JPN 10m Platform Synchro 276.90
5 2019 Sagamihara, JPN 3m Springboard Synchro 307.80
3 2019 Sagamihara, JPN 3m Springboard Synchro 301.83
6 2018   3m Springboard  
7 2018 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard 319.65
2 2018 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 297.60
4 2018 Fuji, JPN 3m Springboard 310.30
7 2018 Kazan, RUS 3m Springboard 314.10
4 2018 Kazan, RUS 3m Springboard Synchro 285.00
7 2018 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard 300.60
3 2018 Montreal, QC, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 295.80
2 2017 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 298.68
2 2017 Guangzhou, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 318.66
3 2017 Windsor, ON, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 299.70
4 2016 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 291.69
4 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 311.25
2 2015 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard Synchro 299.55
4 2015 Dubai, UAE 3m Springboard Synchro 301.50
17 2014   3m Springboard  
5 2014 Monterrey, MEX 3m Springboard Synchro 290.76
8 2014 Windsor, ON, CAN 3m Springboard 300.15
7 2014 Windsor, ON, CAN 3m Springboard Synchro 284.46
6 2011 Beijing, CHN 3m Springboard 309.50
9 2011 Guanajuato, MEX 3m Springboard 293.100
7 2011 Guanajuato, MEX 3m Springboard Synchro 271.50
9 2011 Sheffield, ENG 3m Springboard 302.00
6 2011 Sheffield, ENG 3m Springboard Synchro 289.80
8 2010 Qingdao, CHN 10m Platform 313.40
2 2010 Qingdao, CHN 10m Platform Synchro 325.32