Sharleen Stratton started her sporting career in gymnastics in 1997 at ten years old, which provided a springboard into diving.

In 1999, Sharleen was spotted by members of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Diving talent identification program who were looking for gymnasts to make the transition to diving. She was encouraged to take up the program to fast track her development. In the same year she started competing as a member of the Donnet Diving Club in Brisbane and, in 2003, she joined the AIS Diving program.

A year later Sharleen tasted success, claiming national titles in the 1-metre and 3-metre springboard events at the 2004 national championships, and competed for the first time with Briony Cole in the 3-metre synchronised event.

Sharleen’s success continued to grow in her first international contest. She teamed up with Briony to finish in eighth place at the 2005 FINA World Aquatics Championships and went on to win national titles in the 3-metre springboard in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. At the international level she won bronze with Briony in the 3-metre synchronised event at the 2007 FINA World Aquatics Championships.

Sharleen went on to represent Australia at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, finishing fifth in the women’s 3-metre synchronised and seventh in the 3-metre springboard event. 

Since the Beijing Games, the 22 year-old has become one of the world’s top divers. Among her best results over the last two years, she has won gold in the 3-metre individual and synchronised events at the Montreal 2009 FINA Diving Grand Prix, and claimed gold in the 3-metre springboard and silver in the 3-metre synchronised at the Germany Grand Prix.

Sharleen earned selection in the Australian team for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games after achieving some outstanding results at the national section trials in Perth in July 2010, where she combined with Briony to win the women’s 3-metre springboard synchronised event, and claimed the individual 1-metre springboard. She also finished second in the 3-metre springboard event.

Sharleen has been training hard and has developed rapidly under the guidance of coach Hui Tong in the AIS Diving program, based at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, in preparation for the Games. She is in great form going into the Games.

‘I’m working really hard,’ Sharleen said. ‘I want to finish on the medal podium and gain some more Commonwealth Games titles. My goal is gold.’

Sharleen will be aiming to win consecutive gold medals with AIS team-mate Briony Cole in the women’s 3-metre synchronised event. The pair won gold in this event at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.

When she’s not diving Sharleen is studying with the Australian Institute of Applied Science.