Gold, Silver, Bronze and the Challenge of 2008:
Russian diver Yulia Pakhalina has won three Olympics medals over the course of her diving career, a gold in synchronized springboard in 2000, a silver in synchronized springboard in 2004, and a bronze in 2004 in individual springboard. She will have two challenges in 2008. First, can she break through the Chinese gauntlet and earn another gold, this time in an individual event? Second, how will she fare in synchro with a new teammate after a world class partnership with Vera Ilynia?
New Teammate:
In a sport that's been dominated by China, Yulia has found success in synchronized diving, but that was with teammate Vera Ilyina. Over the course of their partnership, the two won two Olympic medals, two world championship silvers, and four world cup medals, including two golds. Since Ilynia retired following 2004 Athens Games, the synchro medals have dried up. But all hope is not lost, she teamed with Anastasia Pozdnyakova to finish second at the 2008 World Cup behind China's Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia. Can she recapture synchro magic with another partner, or was their chemistry a one of a kind dream come true?
U.S. Roots:
Yulia has split time between the U.S. and Russia since 2000. She dived for Jane Figueiredo at the University of Houston, and graduated in 2005 with a degree in sports management. She is married to Anwar Mohammed, and since he lives in the U.S., it looks as if Houston will be a permanent home.
College Success:
Yulia acclimated well to the college diving scene, winning five NCAA championships while at Houston. She won three three-meter titles in succession from 2001-2003, and won the one-meter titles in 2001 and 2003. Her only upset came in 2002 when she finished second to Canadian diver and Olympic medalist Blythe Hartley who dived for Southern California.
Yulia’s Stats:
- Height: 5 ft. 1 in.
- Age: 29
- Birth Date: September 12, 1977
- World Championship Medals (7): 1998 Three-meter Springboard Gold, Synchronized Springboard Gold; 2001 Three-meter Springboard Bronze, Synchronized Springboard Silver; 2003 Three-meter Springboard Silver, Synchronized Springboard Silver; 2007 One-meter Springboard Bronze
- Olympic Medals (3): 2000 Synchronized Springboard Gold; 2004 Springboard Bronze, Synchronized Springboard Silver
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