Julie-Anne Kent

Julie commenced her 9 year international diving career as a junior in 1979 with wins from 1 and 3 metre springboards in New Zealand.

She returned to that country as an 18 year old to win the gold medal at the 1983 World Age Group Championships for platform diving. This outstanding achievement earned her the prestigious Confederation of Australian Sport Junior Athlete of the Year award.

Julie represented Australia at two Commonwealth Games - Brisbane in 1982 and Edinburgh in 1986 where she won a bronze medal. Selection in two Olympic Games teams - for Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988 saw her again perform with great distinction.

At the junior international level, Julie won 6 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal. Senior success saw her win 1 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. At national senior championships she won 5 gold medals, 3 silver and 6 bronze.

She was forced to reside in Canada for 3 years to gain invaluable experience but the advent of the Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship scheme enabled Julie to continue her short but brilliant career in Australia.

When she retired from top level competition after the Seoul Olympics, Julie was honoured by the Institute of Sport when she was contracted to coach for a 6 month term at the Brisbane AIS diving satellite enabling her to pass on her considerable expertise to our young Australian divers.