INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, February 12. NINE U.S. divers have punched their tickets to Rome for the 2009 FINA World Championships.
The team members were chosen following a four-day selection camp in Columbus, Ohio, where USA Diving selectors chose individual competitors for the World Championships. Synchronized teams will be selected in May.
Six Olympians were among the divers chosen to compete at the World Championships, set for July 18-25 in Italy. Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif.) and Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla.) will dive on men's 3-meter, and Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill.) and Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif.) were chosen on women's 3-meter. Colwill and Loukas also were selected for the 1-meter event. Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif.) and David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) were chosen for 10-meter.
Joining Boudia on 10-meter is up-and-comer Nick McCrory (Chapel Hill, N.C.), a 17-year-old who won his first senior national title in 2008. Brittany Viola (Orlando, Fla.) was selected for the other women's 10-meter spot, and she'll also compete on 1-meter. Terry Horner (Longwood, Fla.) rounds out the team with a spot on 1-meter.
The World Championships team members will be required to demonstrate competitive readiness at the 2009 AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale May 7-9.
Synchronized teams for the World Championships will be chosen at a selection camp in Fort Lauderdale following the Grand Prix.
USA Diving 2009 World Championships team members (individual events):
Women's 1-meter
Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill./Bloomington, Ind.)
Brittany Viola (Orlando, Fla./Coral Gables, Fla.)
Women's 3-meter
Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill./Bloomington, Ind.)
Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif./Ranchos Palos Verde, Calif.)
Women's 10-meter
Haley Ishimatsu (Seal Beach, Calif.)
Brittany Viola (Orlando, Fla./Coral Gables, Fla.)
Men's 1-meter
Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla./Athens, Ga.)
Terry Horner (Longwood, Fla./Tallahassee, Fla.)
Men's 3-meter
Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif./Austin, Texas)
Chris Colwill (Brandon, Fla./Athens, Ga.)
Men's 10-meter
David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind./West Lafayette, Ind.)
Nick McCrory (Chapel Hill, NC)