With a big smile for most of the competition, and a bigger smile after her final dive, Christina Loukas cruised to victory in the women’s springboard competition at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. Her victory earned the 22-year-old an automatic berth on the 2008 Olympic Diving Team.
Heading into the finals Loukas held a 48 point lead, and despite her professed difficulty with diving with a lead, stretched her margin of victory to almost 90 points.
“I thought it was harder,” commented Loukas about diving with the lead. “I tried to block it out.”
With an Olympic team berth secured, now Loukas must change her focus from qualifying in Indianapolis, to medaling in Beijing.
“It’s nice not having to worry about making the team,” said Loukas “Now my focus will be on August (and the Olympics).”
Loukas and the second springboard diver that will be chosen after the Olympic Selection Camp in July, will carry a heavy burden to China. The U.S. has not had a female springboard diver in the top-three at the Olympics since Kelly McCormick won a bronze in 1988, and no golds since Jenny Chandler in 1976.
“The U.S. team has been focusing on that a bit,” said Loukas about the lack of Olympic success. “I am going to focus on myself to do well.”
The competition, and the Chinese in particular, are not invincible according to Loukas’ coach Jeff Huber, who saw that first hand at the 2008 FINA World Cup in Beijing. “Going to the world cup in February was helpful,” said Huber. “We saw that they are beatable.”
Loukas finished fourth at the world cup and with a more polished final dive, would have captured the bronze.
So it’s back to work for Loukas and Huber. “I need to work on my entries,” said Loukas, still smiling after one of the biggest meets of her life.
The question that now comes to the forefront is, who will join Loukas in Beijing. If the trials are any indication, it will likely be a tight battle between all the divers who will attend the camp. The top-six divers from the springboard event will be invited, and with only 70 points separating those women, the competition should be fierce.
The Olympic Team Selection Camp will take place from July 2-6 in Knoxville, Tenn. At the conclusion of the camp, the entire U.S. Olympic Diving Team will be chosen, including the four synchro teams.
- Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill) – 1092.10
- Nancilea Foster (Conroe, Texas) – 1002.85
- Allison Brennan (Huntington Beach, Calif.)– 994.15
- Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif.) – 978.65
- Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) – 944.60
- Victoria Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif.)– 933.60
- Mary Yarrison (Springfield, Va.)– 926.10
- Cassidy Krug (Pittsburgh, Pa.) – 916.30
- Amanda Miller (Centreville, Va.) – 910.30
- Chelsea Davis (Columbus, Ohio) – 892.45
- Abby Johnston (Upper Arlington, Ohio) – 836.10
- Summer Allman (Dallas, Texas) – 823.45
Women’s Three-meter Springboard Finals
