Mitcham, Helm lead Aussie medal assault

Australia's Matthew Mitcham has dived into Olympic gold medal calculations in the 10m platform less than two years after quitting the sport.

The 20-year-old walked away from diving in mid-2006 - burned out after years of trying to balance the rigours of the sport's gruelling training, overseas travel and his high school studies.

He had, in his own words, fallen "out of love" with the sport, and it took him the best part of a year to return to the pool.

Mitcham's (534.45 points) second coming paid big dividends on Monday as he collected gold in a masterly display in the platform event at a World Cup event in Fort Lauderdale.

He received four 10s on his fourth dive and leapt into the air with a clenched fist when he saw the scores go up.

"It's a surprise and my first grand prix gold medal so I am very happy," he said following his victory.

Mitcham felt his performance had demonstrated that his move from his hometown of Brisbane to Sydney was the correct one.

"I just know that I am on the right path."

Equally encouraging for Australia's diving stocks before the Beijing Olympics was the form of Commonwealth Games champion Mathew Helm (502.70).

The 10m Olympic silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Games finished second to Mitcham in Florida and combined with Robert Newbery to win the 10m synchronised event.

Helm, who also had a year out of the pool after his triumph at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, said he was delighted with his performances in his first outings in international competition in two years.

"We both have had our demons that we have had to face," he said of himself and Mitcham.

"I am pretty thankful that I was able to get back to the level at which I left a couple of years ago. I am pretty stoked with how I have gone.

"With another three months to go (to Beijing) I am really looking forward to stepping up my game, it is great that I have Matthew (Mitcham) there to push me along.

"He has an amazing amount of talent."

Newbery and Helm have been a class act in the 10m synchro for a long time, they were world champions in 2003 and collected bronze in Athens.

Newbery said their combination was coming together following Helm's break.

"We are getting back our mojo," he said.

The World Cup meet had a strong field with only some of the leading divers from China and Russia not competing.

The Australians have shown enough in Fort Lauderdale and Montreal in the past week to suggest they are on track to retain their standing as the world's second-best diving nation.

They held that mantle after the Athens Games with only the Chinese divers proving a more potent force.

Helm was very confident the team was looking the goods before Beijing.

"I think we all have the potential to do really big things, especially in the synchro events," he said.