SINGAPORE — The Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) has appointed Australian Shannon Roy, a 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the men’s 3m springboard, as its new national head coach for diving.

The 39-year-old replaces former national diving head coach Xu Jie, who stepped down last July to be with his family in Canada.

Roy, who retired in 2002 after winning several national and international titles, turned to coaching the following year. His stable of proteges include multiple national junior and senior champions, including two from the 2008 USA Olympic team.

Prior to joining the SSA, Roy was the diving head coach at the Western Australia Institute of Sport, where he coached the athletes to five national titles. Two of his charges were selected for the Australian National Open Squad, while four were drafted into the national Junior Squad.

As Singapore national diving head coach, Roy will also oversee areas such as talent identification and high performance coaching for the junior and national divers in the lead-up to the 2017 South-east Asian (SEA) Games, said the SSA in a media release.

He will also work with local coaches to share his technical knowledge, and develop a professional coaching pathway to enhance the standard of performance and coaching in Singapore.

“Singapore has the potential to make a real mark in the world of diving and I am very excited about this opportunity to work with the diving fraternity,” said Roy in the media release.

“This is my first time coaching in Asia and I hope to bring a holistic style of coaching which I believe will bring the best out of divers and coaches here.”

SSA vice-president of diving William Lee believes that Roy will take the Singapore national diving team to greater heights.

“We had a very strong showing at the 2015 SEA Games, clinching seven medals, but our long-term aim is to have one of our athletes qualify for the Olympics,” said Lee.

“Shannon brings very strong credentials, and we believe that his strength of character, professionalism and ambition will take Singapore Diving to the very next level.”

Singapore’s divers have been chalking up good results at the South-east Asian Games since 2013.

The Republic won its first-ever SEA Games diving medal at the 2013 edition through Mark Lee, who finished second in the men’s 3m springboard, and eventually returned home with two silvers and two bronzes.

Last year. Singapore won three silver and four bronze medals to finish second in the overall diving medal tally behind regional powerhouses, Malaysia (8-3-0).

Beyond the SEA Games, the SSA’s aim is to have one of its divers, which include Fong Kay Yian, Myra Lee, Freida Lim and Ashlee Tan, qualify for the Olympics for the first time.