Olympics: One Brittany replaces another in her sleep
By Alan Baldwin
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Australian diver Brittany O'Brien was called up to the Rio Olympics in her sleep on Saturday, the teenager drafted in to replace injured 2012 silver medallist Brittany Broben.
"Brittany O'Brien...has been confirmed to take that 10 metre platform spot," Australian team chef de mission Kitty Chiller told reporters at the Games on Saturday.
"She doesn't actually know yet. She's still sound asleep. She's going to get a very nice wake-up call from somebody to find that she will be making her Olympic debut.
"We're trying to get a flight for her at the moment."
O'Brien, 18 and from Sydney, was originally named as team reserve and qualifies under a quota arrangement. Her event at the Maria Lenk aquatics centre starts on Aug. 17 with the final on the 18th.
She will be the youngest member of the diving squad and joins team mate Melissa Wu.
Broben was ruled out on Friday after suffering a further setback to a shoulder injury that she sustained at the national trials.
The youngest member of the Australian team in London four years ago, and runner-up to China's Chen Ruolin in the final, the 20-year-old's withdrawal from Rio came as a big blow to the diving squad.
"Brittany has been fighting hard to return to full fitness, and she and Diving Australia were confident she was going to be ready to perform at her best in Rio," said Diving Australia chief executive David Bell in a statement.
"Unfortunately this setback has put paid to her chances."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
