| Grant Roy Nel | |
| Fullname: | Grant Roy Nel |
| Country: | Australia |
| National Team: | Australia |
| Birth Date: | 1988 4, df = yes |
| Birth Place: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Height: | 1.74m (05.71feet) |
| Event: | Diving |
| Club: | Victoria |
| Collegeteam: | Texas A&M |
| Partner: | Brooke Lonie |
Grant Roy Nel (born 7 April 1988) is an Australian diver. Nel won three medals for Australia at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and represented Australia in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Nel was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on 7 April 1988.[1] His mother, Avril, represented South Africa in gymnastics.[2] Nel was a gymnast as a child until he broke both of his hands, where he switched sports to diving.[3] Nel would move to Australia in 2001. Nel first competed in the World Diving Championships in 2007, which he would compete in five times consecutively until 2015. Nel attended Yarra Valley Grammar in Ringwood, Victoria and attended Texas A&M University. At Texas A&M, Nel would set school records in three separate dives, including the three-metre springboard at 476.48. He would additionally receive NCAA All-American honors and Team MVP.[4]
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Nel competed in five diving events, winning bronze in the 3 m springboard with a score of 456.55.[5]
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Nel failed to qualify for the individual 3 m springboard final after he scored zero points after slipping during a dive and landing on his back.[6] [7] The day after, Nel would later win silver in the syncronised 3 m springboard with Matthew Mitcham. Nel would additionally win bronze in the 1 m springboard by scoring 303.40 points.[8]
Nel represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Nel had previously failed to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics after receiving shoulder surgery.[9] [10] Nel competed in the men's 3 metre springboard, where he finished 16th in the preliminary round with 395.05 points, advancing the semi-finals. In the semi-final, Nel scored 368.35 points and placed 15th overall, failing to advance to the finals. The previous year, Nel was set back by a back joint injury that left him bedridden for six weeks.[11]
Nel announced his retirement from diving on 17 August 2017.[12]
Nel married in 2016 and holds a degree in agricultural engineering.[13]