The year 2023 will always be an extraordinary vintage for Australia’s Cassiel Rousseau and Chen Yiwen of the People’s Republic of China. That’s when Rousseau stunned the world by winning the 10m world championship title in Fukuoka, Japan, and Chen utterly dominated the women’s 3m discipline.

They were named 2023 male and female diving Athletes of the Year at Hamad Aquatic Centre.

When Rousseau, 23, became world champion in men’s 10m last year, the feat was extra newsworthy because his victory snapped China’s reign of diving dominance. Since 2017, China had won every world championship diving event it had entered – until the historic Saturday, July 22, 2023, when the stylish Brisbane native scored 520.85 points (a personal best), and no one could top it.

Rousseau had only been diving for about five years. As a result, he said this week’s award “is probably the biggest accolade I’ve received – and will ever receive."

Image Source: Cassiel Rousseau and Domonic Bedggood compete Men's Synchro 10m Platform Final at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Rousseau was informed on Thursday night. “We had a little team meeting,” he said. “My coach said, ‘Aw, someone’s in trouble, yada-yada-ya.’ I was like, ‘Oh god.’ But then the CEO announced, ‘Cass got diver of the year.’ I thought it was just diver of the year for Diving Australia, and he was like, ‘No, World Aquatics diver of the year.’ It was very surprising and unexpected but I’m definitely very thankful and honoured.”

Image Source: Cassiel Rousseau celebrates with his Fukuoka gold (Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics)

Both winners also received a monetary bonus. “10,000 buckeroos,” as Rousseau referred to US dollars. “10,000 big ones, yeah! I just quit my job so that definitely helps in terms of paying for rent, grocery, utilities, the whole lot.”

Image Source: World Aquatics

Chen,  24, was also honoured for winning just about everything in women’s 3m springboard in 2023. She won the Xi’an World Cup in April (with a personal record 404.70 points) and the Montreal World Cup in May. In July, she successfully defended her 2022 world title in Fukuoka, Japan, and went on to win the Berlin Super Final in August and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October.

“This award made my day,” Chen said. “They only told me this morning. I expected this award a bit; I was thinking about it.”

Image Source: Yiwen Chen competes in the Women's 3m Springboard Final at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

But, she said, “Last year was not the best year of my life, definitely not. Last year's world championships were not as good as I wanted, but it gave me a lot of experience, like how to change my mindset into the competition.

As for the check, Chen said, “It is Chinese New Year so I need to support my family. I will spend it on my family.”