Make it an even dozen! The U.S. needed a strong showing at the 2008 FINA World Cup to earn an additional six spots for the Beijing Olympics and got that and a bit more. The 12 divers finished second in the overall standings and picked up two bronze medals on the final day of competition.
Heading into the Olympic qualifying event, the U.S. needed to qualify for the additional six spots having already earned six at the 2007 World Diving Championships. In the final event of the six-day competition, the duo of Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) captured the bronze medal in synchronized springboard and qualified for the only event that the U.S. failed to compete in at Athens in 2004.
In the men's platform event David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) and Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis) both finished in the top 18, earning two spots for Beijing. Boudia picked up his first international medal by placing third in the event.
In earlier competition, Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif.) finished eighth in the women's platform to earn a berth in that event, and then teamed with Mary Beth Dunnichay (Elwood, Ind.) to earn the last women's synchronized platform berth available with another eighth place finish. Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla.) placed eighth in the men's springboard competition and combined with a fourth place finish at the 2007 World Championships by Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif.) assured the U.S. of two divers in men's springboard.Qualifying spots for the Olympic Games are earned for the U.S. federation and the final team that will compete in Beijing will be chosen at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving on June 18-22 in Indianapolis, and the Olympic Selection Camp July 2-6 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Source: USA Diving
