Olympics-Australian divers slam FINA over Tokyo qualifier, withdraw from event

FILE PHOTO: Diving – 17th FINA World Aquatics Championships – Women's 3m Springboard Semifinal – Budapest, Hungary – July 20, 2017 – Anabelle Smith of Australia competes. REUTERS/David Balogh

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Olympic bronze medallist diver Anabelle Smith has slammed global governing body FINA for pressing ahead with a qualifying event for this year's Games in Tokyo despite a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Japanese capital.

Diving Australia have pulled out of the May 1-6 World Cup for safety reasons, meaning Smith and her partner Maddison Keeney will not now have the chance to qualify for the Olympics in the synchronised 3 metre springboard event.