USA Diving announces nominees to 2008 U.S. Olympic Team

KNOXVILLE , Tenn. – Twelve divers have been nominated to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, USA Diving announced Monday following a five-day selection camp at the University of Tennessee.

Eight additional divers join the four divers who won events at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis to earn nominations last month.

The roster includes a mix of veterans and youngsters, with Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif.) and Laura Wilkinson (Spring, Texas), who won men’s 3-meter and women’s 10-meter at the Trials to make their third Olympic teams, leading a team that features a number of teenagers, including a pair of 15-year-olds.

For the first time since 1996, the United States will have maximum participation at the Olympic Games, with the U.S. qualifying in all of four synchronized diving events and earning the maximum two individual spots per event as well.

Four of the 12 divers nominated will compete on two events with David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) and Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis, Ind.) earning spots on 10-meter and synchronized 10-meter, Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla./Athens, Ga.) on 3-meter and synchronized 3-meter and 15-year-old Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif./Indianapolis) on 10-meter and synchronized 10-meter.

Jevon Tarantino (Boca Raton, Fla.) will join Colwill in 3-meter synchro, and Mary Beth Dunnichay (Elwood, Ind.), also 15, will pair up with Ishimatsu in 10-meter synchro.

Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill.) and Nancilea Underwood Foster (Conroe, Texas) will compete on 3-meter, and Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill./ Carmel, Ind.) and Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif./ Indianapolis, Ind.) have been selected to dive women’s synchronized 3-meter.

Olympic diving events begin August 10 with women’s synchronized 3-meter finals and conclude August 23 with men’s 10-meter semifinals and finals.

2008 U.S. Olympic Team nominations for diving:

David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) – 10-meter, synchronized 10-meter

Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill./ Carmel, Ind.) – synchronized 3-meter

Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla./ Athens, Ga.) – 3-meter, synchronized 3-meter

Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif./ Austin, Texas) – 3-meter

Mary Beth Dunnichay (Elwood, Ind.) – synchronized 10-meter

Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis, Ind.) – 10-meter, synchronized 10-meter

Nancilea Underwood Foster (Conroe, Texas/ University of Iowa) – 3-meter

Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif./ Indianapolis, Ind.) – 10-meter, synchronized 10-meter

Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill./ Bloomington, Ind.) – 3-meter

Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif./ Indianapolis, Ind.) – synchronized 3-meter

Jevon Tarantino (Boca Raton, Fla.) – synchronized 3-meter

Laura Wilkinson (Spring, Texas) – 10-meter

STAFF: Head Coach – John Wingfield (Fishers, Ind.); Assistant Coach – Wenbo Chen (Carmel, Ind.); Additional Coaches: Ken Armstrong (The Woodlands, Texas), Dan Laak (Watkinsville, Ga.), Jeff Huber (Bloomington, Ind.), Matt Scoggin (Austin, Texas), Dave Burgering (Boca Raton, Fla.); Team Leader – Bob Rydze (Iowa City, Iowa)

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