Keelan makes a splash

DIVING SENSATION: Keelan Bilton-Philp happy with his success at the National Junior Elite Diving Championships.

AT just the tender age of 13, Keelan Bilton-Philp is starting to make a big splash in diving circles.

A year eight student of Rochedale-based school, Redeemer Lutheran College, Bilton-Philp was the toast of the school when he returned from Perth recently with a gold, two silver and a bronze medal he won at the National Junior Elite Diving Championships.

“When I got my first gold on the 3m springboard I was quite happy,” Bilton-Philp said.

“I was hoping for three golds and so was my coach (Jin Lan Wang), but I stuffed up on one or two dives and that was the difference between gold and silver.

“But I was still pleased with my effort.”

Bilton-Philp's excellent performance at the championships also saw him named Male Diver of the Year in Group C at the Annual Awards night.

“It was pretty cool (winning the award), it was another huge surprise,” Bilton-Philp said.

Bilton-Philp dipped his toes into gymnastics before switching over to diving six years ago.

A member of the RAPS Brisbane club, Bilton-Philp gets up six morning's a week at 3.50am to train at Chandler with his brother, who is a promising swimmer.

They then return back to the pool for a second session after school.

But all the long hours seem to be paying off.

As well as being a part of the national diving identification squad, Bilton-Philp has been named in the National junior squad for the second year running.

So when it comes to aspirations, it is no shock Bilton-Philp harbours lofty ambitions.

“My first goal was to make the national identification squad, then the next step is to get into the QAS and then eventually the AIS, which is what I'm hoping for,” he said.

“My coach is trying to get me into the open nationals squad where I get to train with all the Olympians.”

While Bilton-Philp confessed he still has a lot to learn, the 13-year-old wants to build on his recent success and represent Australia at the Olympics Games, setting his sights on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.