University of Queensland medical student Robert Newbery has dived into the medals at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games winning gold, silver and bronze for Australia.
The second year Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery student partnered Mathew Helm for gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform with a winning score of 440.58.
"It's my first gold at a Commonwealth Games. I finally got a gold in front of my home crowd," Newbery said.
Earlier in the competition Newbery was flipped into second place in the men's 3m springboard by Canadian diving sensation Alexandre Despatie who scored 941.60 points to Newbery's 906.30. He later won bronze in the 3m synchronised springboard.
Newbery, who was competing at his third Commonwealth Games, is one of the stars of the Australia diving team. He was a bronze medallist in the men's synchronised 10m platform at the Athens Olympics and won bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 3m springboard. At the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998 he picked up a silver in the 10m platform and a bronze in the 1m springboard.
Speaking before the Games began he said he had been hoping to dive into the gold medal position that had eluded him in Manchester.
"I have been really, really close twice. I have got silver and two bronze. I remember at Manchester I was leading the platform and it came down to the last dive and I just missed out," he said.
Other UQ gold medal winners included Bachelor of Physiotherapy graduate Bronwyn Thompson, who won gold in the women's long jump, and legal studies graduate Caitlin Willis who was part of the victorious Australian women's 4x400m relay team.
In the rhythmic gymnastics first year science student Amanda Lee See picked up a bronze medal in the overall team event.
Earlier in the competition UQ Commerce and Law graduate Andrew Mewing grabbed a bronze medal as part of the men's 4x200m freestyle team. Mewing came 13th in the individual men's 200m freestyle while Dolphins team-mate Leith Brodie, a UQ Engineering student, made his Games debut in the pool by placing fourth in the men's 200m individual medley.
In the triathlon Master of Applied Law student Annabel Luxford came fifth in a time of 1:59:19.57 while Arts student and track star Melanie Kleeberg made it through to the semi-finals of the women's 200m.
Media: For more information or photos, contact Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email c.saxby@uq.edu.au).
