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A local Murri kid has broken Matthew Mitcham’s Australian record for the highest single dive score, after pulling off a octuple backflip at the local public pool this week.
13-year-old Peter Uebergang awed people around the country after Youtube footage emerged of the young fella perfectly executing a never-before-seen aerobatic manoeuvre from the ten metre board at Betoota Artesian Aquatic Centre
Gold-medal-winning Olympic posterboy Matthew Mitcham has confirmed himself that Peter’s dive was nothing short of flawless.
“Yep, it was a perfect 10. I have never seen anything like it. It’s absolutely incredible,” he told the Advocate after watching the footage.
“I can totally understand the Diving Association’s decision and am pleased to hand the mantle over, Pete is a deserving recipient,” he said.
As is commonly acknowledged in small country towns, the official initiation to adulthood for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous townie youth is whether or not they can pull off sick gainers from the ten down at the pool.
Uebergang said he was stoked with the title and can’t believe who many people across the country are watching the video.
The young man, who is also a talented footy player, said that while he was flattered by the attention he can’t understand what the fuss is all about.
“Come down the pool on Friday arvo and you will see me and the boys doing shit like that for hours.”
The ABC has taken the story and run with it, citing it as the perfect example of obscure sports alleviating the third world conditions that Australia’s remote Indigenous population are often subjected to.
Uebergang said he is open to the chance of sporting scholarship down in the big smoke, but hopes no one underestimates that he is also quite good at maths.
“Why doesn’t anyone care about my academics?” he asked.
“Is diving seriously the main reason people want me to finish school?”