It was her fourth dive, and her main competition had just slightly missed a dive. So Laura Wilkinson decided to put both her competition and the crowd in awe with an inward 3 ½ somersaults in tuck position that received five perfect scores. Game over.
Wilkinson’s big-time list of dives put her in the familiar position as the favorite heading into the final on Sunday, as she stretched her 1.3 point lead from the preliminaries to 55.
What changed from Wednesday and a less than satisfying performance, both the fact that she had watched the men’s platform, and also put out of her mind the 25-point bonus that she received as a result of a fourth place finish at the 2007 World Championships.
“I wanted to dive like that," said Wilkinson after watching the men’s platform semifinals on Thursday, “That was inspiring.”
Wilkinson received a bonus prior to the start of the prelims. The bonus is a new attempt by USA Diving to reward consistency in diving, an attribute that divers must have to compete internationally. The bonus though, seems to have caused more strife among the divers than was anticipated.
“That messed with my head a little bit,” Wilkinson said about the bonus. “I felt a lot more grounded and a lot more confident tonight. I stayed in my own meet.”
By staying in her own meet, Wilkinson showed that she should still be considered a medal contender in what could be her third, and last Olympics. Her seven scores of 10 during the semifinals should attest to that.
Wilkinson was not the only diver to receive a perfect score. Haley Ishimatsu, the 15-year-old from Seal Beach, Calif., earned five of her own. Four of those came on her final dive, a back 2 ½ somersaults with 1 ½ twists.
The only flaw in her diving list was a back 3 ½ somersaults in pike that went short of vertical, and received scores of 5.5 and 6. “It’s my most inconsistent dive, and I have to work on it,” said Ishimatsu.
Commenting on Wilkinson’s diving, Ishimatsu gave her competitor words of praise. “She really dove well. It was an amazing list (of dives). But anything can happen.”
The women’s platform finals will take place on Sunday, and will be televised live by NBC. So tune in on Sunday to see if Laura makes her third Olympics!
- Laura Wilkinson (Spring, Texas) – 813.20
- Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif.) – 757.55
- Cassandra Cardinell (Loudonville, N.Y.) – 698.70
- Brittany Viola (Orlando, Fla.) – 679.65
- Jessica Livingston (The Woodlands, Texas) – 672.10
- Mary-Beth Dunnichay (Elwood, Ind.) – 617.40
- Heather Bounds Isle (Round Rock, Texas) – 541.80
- Michelle Cabassol (Montgomery, Texas) – 528.30
- Lindsay Weigle (Bloomington, Ind.) – 524.50
- Vennie Dantin (Conroe, Texas) – 482.60
- Kristan Asman (Columbus, Ohio) – 472.45
- Amy Korthauer (Naperville, Ill.) – 400.35
Women's 10-meter Platform Semifinals
