Diver Nick Byron is weighing up his sporting future despite an impressive display at this month’s Australian Open Championships. 06459 Picture: Luke PlummerBy Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills diver Nick Byron may follow his Olympian girlfriend into retirement, despite producing a strong performance at this month’s Australian Open Championships.
Byron, 24, finished seventh overall and as the fifth-highest Australian in the three-metre springboard event at the national competition.
“I was very pleased. I just went in to enjoy myself,” he said.
“It was probably the most consistent I’ve dived. It was just from not putting so much pressure on myself and not having high expectations.”
The championships marked Byron’s return to serious competition after a six-month break from the sport last year.
He used the time to have his ailing left shoulder operated on.
Byron only returned to full training in January, but is now considering quitting the sport altogether.
“I’m not actually sure what I’m doing because I’m basically working full-time now. I’ve also been doing a bit of coaching on the side in at MSAC,” he said.
“I’m just working with the parents at North Lodge (Swimming Academy) and I’m running the business and learning how to do that.
“It hasn’t been full-time because I was juggling it with the training. I’m kind of in that transition stage.
“Diving is one of those sports that has no money in it, which is a bit hard to keep doing forever, unfortunately.”
Byron also missed out on a spot in the national development squad due to Diving Australia officials’ decision to only offer places to athletes under the age of 21.
“I’ll probably decide over the next couple of weeks what I’m going to do,” he said.
“The way they’ve structured the development squad I was on last year, you have to be under 21, which is a bit silly.
“I’m not 100 per cent if I’ll get any trips (overseas) or not, which is unfortunate again because I felt I dived the best I’ve ever dived (at the Australian Open Championships).”
Byron’s girlfriend, Coral Bentley, retired after representing Australia in synchronised swimming at last year’s Beijing Olympic Games.
She, too, bemoaned the lack of money in her sport and plans on working as a travel agent.
