FINA World Junior Diving Championships

USA Diving, 9/9/14

 

Brooke Schultz wins 1-meter title at FINA World Junior Diving Championships
Three other U.S. divers advance to finals on opening day of competition

 

                Penza, Russia – Brooke Schultz (Cicero, Ind.) won the gold medal on 1-meter for group B girls (14-15) to lead Team USA on Tuesday, the opening day of the FINA World Junior Diving Championships. All three other U.S. divers competing Tuesday advanced to the finals in their respective events.

                Schultz scored 356.90 points on 1-meter to give Team USA its first medal of the six-day championships. Russia’s Ekaterina Nekrasova finished second with 353.95 points, while Australia’s Georgia Sheehan took the bronze with 344.65 points.

                “It feels really good. I’m happy with my performance. I was really nervous, but I’m so excited I did so well,” Schultz said.

                Schultz was third in the preliminaries but had room for improvement after missing her reverse 2 ½ tuck for just 36 points. With a degree of difficulty of 3.0, it was the most difficult dive performed by any diver in the contest. It paid off in the finals when she hit it for 63 points. With one round remaining after that dive, she trailed Nekrasova by 1.55 points.

               “I get really nervous before that dive. I’m the only one throwing it, and even if I don’t hit it, it’s still a good learning experience for me to at least try it. I was so happy and relieved it went well in the finals. I knew it was really close, and I just had one more dive to hit,” Schultz said.

                Schultz followed up with 55.20 points on an inward 1 ½ pike to overtake Nekraskova, who closed out her list with 50.70 points on a front 1 ½ with two twists.

               “I knew it was going to be close, with only 1 ½ points between first and second going into the last round. I knew I had to hit my dive, and I just told myself to do it like I normally do,” Schultz said. “I was standing there waiting for the last two girls go, and I started crying when I saw I won. I was so happy.”

                USA’s Nikki Watters (New Albany,  Ohio) also advanced to the group B 1-meter finals and finished eighth with 319.35 points, highlighted by 52.80 points on her inward 1 ½ pike.

                In  the boys’ group A (16-18) 3-meter final, Jordan Windle (Morrisville, N.C.) finished sixth with 515.55 points, including 72 points apiece on  his front 2 ½ with a twist and his back 2 ½ pike. Henry Fusaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) scored 467.25 points to finish 12th, with two dives earning 60 or more points. China’s Huang Bowen took the gold with 636.90 points. Russia’s Alexandr Belevtcev scored 565.60 points edge Mexico’s Rodrigo Diego (562.65) for the silver.

                Schultz is now finished with competition, while Fusaro, Watters and Windle all will compete on at least one more event.

                The FINA World Junior Diving Championships continue through Sunday, September 14. Wednesday’s competition features Windle and Cameron Thatcher (Powell, Ohio) in synchronized 3-meter, Sarah Bacon (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Olivia Rosendahl (Los Angeles, Calif.) in group A 1-meter, and Grace Cable (Winter Park, Fla.) and Maggie Merriman (Orlando, Fla.) in group B platform.