The Oceanian athlete can boast of having achieved, in a very short time, some records that are already part of the history of this discipline. If in his Olympic debut (Tokyo 2020) he secured eighth place in the rankings, his progress led him in just a couple of years to achieve the most remarkable feat of his career: winning the gold medal in the 10-metre event at the Fukuoka World Championships. Thanks to this, he broke the Chinese dominance and was awarded the 2023 Diver of the Year by the World Swimming Federation.

Far from relaxing, Rousseau participated this season in the mixed event at the Doha World Championships alongside his teammates Maddison Keeney, Nikita Hains, and Shixin Li. They formed the Australian team that won the bronze, just behind Great Britain’s gold and Mexico’s silver. In his mind, he is already thinking about challenging the best at the Paris event and making it to the 10-metre final scheduled for 30 July.

The Australian diver, who recently confessed to having a fear of heights, finds motivation not only in the possibility of adding to his record but also in a personal goal: to win a medal at these Games to equal the feat of his grandfather, the Frenchman Michel Guy Rousseau, who won gold in the individual sprint cycling competition at Melbourne 1956.

If he manages to step onto the podium, he will emulate his grandfather’s story, as he stated on the podcast ‘En Route to Paris’, “He won his first gold medal at a world championship at the same age I did, and a couple of years later he won a medal at the Olympics, something I could also replicate.” Back then, a Frenchman triumphed in Australia, and now an Australian, his grandson, could do the same in France. Such are the quirks of fate.

Rousseau's love for platform diving did not develop at an early age, as is often the case, since his career began in gymnastics and acrobatic sports. Given that he never liked heights, diving was never a path he imagined as a successful sporting option. “I used to watch diving on television and thought I would never do that,” he said, thanking his mother for forcing him to take up the sport.

“Mum practically dragged me out of bed one morning and took me to a diving trial while I was kicking and screaming to avoid it. I said I didn’t want to do it, but I finally did. Then I jumped from the 1-metre springboard and later moved up to the 3-metre board, and since then I’ve really enjoyed doing all this,” explained Rousseau.

Paris will be his second Olympic Games. If in Tokyo he was just looking to have fun and experience the Olympic atmosphere, his aim now is to compete for a medal. “In France, I have a chance to do something great and focus on that rather than just enjoying the experience, which I already had in Tokyo.”