U.S. Olympic Team Divers

Katie Bell has a chance to medal at the Olympics on platform. Not as big of a chance as say, Chen Ruolin, but she does have a chance. If she gets into finals - where each of the divers starts from zero, she could surprise the field. She did not make finals at the 2012 World Cup held at the Olympic pool, but is now familiar with the environment in which she will dive and that could prove to be the boost she needs to get into the final 12. Katie is a bit of an underdog, having fought back from some pretty serious injuries (torn labrum, collapsed lung, separated ribs) to even be in this spot, so maybe she feels comfortable in that role. She will need to put together a career list of dives and maybe some pointers from Laura Wilkinson.

Follow Katie on Twitter - @HippieBell

Cassidy Krug looked to be in a good place at the Olympic Trials - a good diving place. Relaxed and confident in her abilities, she stayed in her own world unfazed by the competition. As a result of this state of mind she won prelims, semifinal and finals for a cumulative 77 point victory. To be successful in diving you need to take one dive at a time and worry only about yourself - no chasing the leaders if you will. This is where Cassidy seems to be right now. How the spectacle of the Games changes that, no one knows. But if she competes with the same mindset that she showed at trials, a medal is a definite possibility.

Follow Cassidy on Twitter - @CassidyKrug

This will be Christina's second Olympic Games and that will be a big advantage for the now 27 year-old. Like her teammate Cassidy Krug, Christina has the ability to get in the top three, and knows what it will take having competed against the field on numerous occasions, including Beijing. She will not approach this competition with a rookie state of mind, which will make her dangerous. Needless to say, she will need to be at her best as one would expect at the most important competition in the world, but think of the celebration at the Cubby Bear in Chicago if she returns with a medal!

Follow Christina on Twitter - @christinaloukas

Brittany Viola faces an uphill battle - the battle of D.D. Meaning that the total difficulty of her dives puts her at a disadvantage as she competes to make the top three in the world. While her total D.D. of 15.5 (total of each of her five dives) may only be four or five tenths below that of the top girl's, it makes a big difference when the talent level is so close. If she can get to her inward 3 1/2 in good shape, it could give her confidence to finish strong. She can't miss, period. If she does her lower D.D. will kill her chances. But if she doesn’t miss, her form and ability to rip could give her a chance at more than a free trip to London.

Follow Brittany on Twitter - @BrittanyViola

If there is an event in which the Chinese may be vulnerable, it is men's platform. And if there is a diver who might be able to take advantage of that, it's David Boudia. As solid fundamentally as any diver in the contest - and possibly more so, David has the dives, the experience and the ability to win a medal. It could be gold. He was a silver medalist at the 2011 World Championships so this is not just idle talk, but there are quite a few talented platform divers out there that have a ton of talent also. Is David mentally tough enough to do what he is capable of at the Olympics? We will find out on August 11th, the day of the men's platform final.

Follow David on Twitter - @davidboudia

If Chris Colwill can keep his feet together and his toes pointed, he can win a medal. He has as much athletic ability as anyone in the field, jumps to the moon and definitely can inspire the "awe" factor with his dives. It's just that those feet kill him internationally. He should easily make finals and has shown recently that he is good under pressure, but can he score well enough to win a medal? If it comes down to his sixth dive, his favorite reverse 3 1/2 tuck, my money is on Chris. Let's just hope it comes to that!

Follow Chris on Twitter - @ColwillChris

Can he get it done? Can Troy Dumais finally, in his fourth Olympics, win a medal? This event will be interesting because it comes after the men's synchro final. If he wins a medal there (where he has a good chance) his mental attitude may be completely different than if he doesn't, and then the pressure mounts. He has three sixth place finishes in this event and faces a group of divers much younger than his 32 years of age. All signs point to him being on the outside looking in, but that is exactly what was said prior to the Olympic trials and he handled the pressure pretty well there.

Nick McCrory possesses a wealth of talent, and whether that talent is showcased in London is anyone's guess. But this I can tell you; he has the ability to medal. He can give you the “wow” factor with his dives and he can rip. One dive that could trip him up is his front 4 ½. In finals, 6’s will not cut it because the competition will be tight. But if he does the jump high, spin fast and rip scenario for 8.5’s, it could be an exciting finish and he might well be in the hunt.

Follow Nick on Twitter - @NickMcCrory1

Abby Johnston was so excited after her synchro event at the Olympic trials that she looked as if her grin was going to permanently contort her face. Kelci Bryant on the other hand, while happy, had an attitude of, "That was great but now the fun really begins – time to go win a medal." If Kelci and her experience from 2008 can help Abby stay focused, these two have a real chance at winning a medal. Their timing is great and they can each do great dives, but they need to stay on task until the final dive and then break out the grins. What a confidence boost it would be for the U.S. to win a medal in the first diving event of the 2012 Olympic Games!

Follow Kelci (@Kelci_Bryant) and Abby (@AbbyLJohnston) on Twitter

• Kelci Bryant Bio
• Abby Johnston Bio

Troy and Kristian have a very good chance of winning a medal. They are one of the top international synchro teams and have proven so with a fourth at the 2011 World Championships, a sixth at the 2012 World Cup, and a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships. The Olympic pressure cooker will be a first for Ipsen, but Dumais should help him keep a level head as long as he can keep his head in the right place (fourth Olympics, no medal, etc.). It may come down to a reverse 3 ½ which has plagued both divers at times. Then again, the team aspect of synchro can make individual divers step up to the plate in ways they might not do on their own.

Follow Kristian on Twitter - @kristianipsen

• Troy Dumais Bio
• Kristian Ipsen Bio

Boudia and McCrory have been paired up in synchro since 2010 and this collaboration has brought about domestic success, but no international medals. The two biggest events in which they have competed - 2011 Worlds and 2012 World Cup, ended in fourth and fifth place finishes respectively. Very good, but again, no medals. The top teams in this event are all very close, and to assure themselves of a medal the two will need to score at least 450 points, and that may not even do it. These two divers are the coolest customers on the U.S. team and will no doubt battle for a spot on the podium, but they face a very tough and evenly matched field. This event should be fun to watch.

Follow Nick (@NickMcCrory1) and David (@davidboudia) on Twitter

• David Boudia Bio
• Nick McCrory Bio