His Road to Beijing:
Chris Colwill has spent the past three years competing in international events in preparation for this moment. He won seven international medals in 2007 and is looking to top that in 2008 with one – an Olympic medal. He just completed his final year of college eligibility at the University of Georgia by being named NCAA Diving of the Year, and currently trains with his college coach Dan Laak in Athens, Ga.
Chris' Talent:
Chris has scary physical talent and a diving list as tough as anyone competing – including a reverse 2 ½ somersaults with 2 ½ twists with a 3.9 degree of difficulty. A disadvantage he has turned to the positive is his hearing impairment. He has 60 percent hearing loss, but uses this in competition to help him focus on himself, and block out the competition. A newfound attitude, one that has allowed him to relax and have more fun while competing, has come to Chris since the NCAA championships. His new attitude seems to have produced results - consistent results as evidenced at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials.
What to Look For:
As good as Chris can be, consistency will be the question. He could win prelims, then not advance out of semifinals. With three lists of dives needed to earn a medal, consistency will be important for Mr. Colwil. He needs to post a six dive score of at least 500 points to be in medal contention, and he has shown the ability to do that. If he can get off to a good start, something even he professes doesn’t always happen, it will breed a lot of confidence. One only needs look at the competition from Athens to understand that anything can happen.
Chris' Stats:
Chris has won at every level of diving at which he has competed. He has junior national titles, a junior world title, U.S. senior national titles, and international medals to his credit. He has done well in internationally, both individually, and in synchro with Jevon Tarantino, and he and Tarantino have the ability to medal in Beijing. That kind of success breeds confidence and if he truly believes he will win a medal in Beijing …. well, we will see!
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