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Flash Quotes

General Quotes

ERICA SORGI, USA DIVING

HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR SYNCHRONIZED DIVING?

"ME AND MY PARTNER JENNY [LINGAMFELTER], WHO IS NOT HERE BECAUSE OF A SHOULDER INJURY, GOT TOGETHER AT NATIONALS IN INDIANAPOLIS. IT WAS REALLY FUN. THERE WAS NOT THAT MUCH PRESSURE BECAUSE IT WAS A DUAL EVENT. IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING AND FUN BECAUSE IT WAS A NEW EVENT.

IS THERE A SPECIAL DIVE THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON?

"MOST OF THE DIVES THAT MY PARTNER AND I DO ARE WHAT WE DO ON OUR INDIVIDUAL LIST, SO THERE IS REALLY NOTHING SPECIAL WE ARE WORKING ON. BASICALLY, WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER DIVES THAT WE BOTH CAN DO."

WHAT IS HARD ABOUT SYNCHRONIZED DIVING?

"I THINK YOU NEED TO FIND SOMEONE WITH THE SAME BODY TYPE, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS THE SAME MECHANICS. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE REALLY DIFFERENT STYLES OF DIVING YOU HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING SYNCHRONIZED."

LAURA WILKINSON, USA DIVING

HOW IS IT TO BE AT THE GOODWILL GAMES AND IN NEW YORK?

"WE GOT IN LATE LAST NIGHT AND TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME WE GOT A LOOK AT THE POOL. IT IS GREAT TO BE HERE AND STAYING IN THE SAME HOTEL WITH ALL THE GREAT ATHLETES. IT IS DEFINITELY AN ADRENALINE RUSH. I THINK IT’S GREAT HAVING THIS COMPETITION IN NEW YORK. IT SEEMS LIKE MOST THE NATIONALS HAVE BEEN IN SMALL TOWNS, BUT TO HAVE THIS EVENT IN NEW YORK IT HAS A CHANCE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO DON’T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE SPORT."

"IF IT PLEASES THE CROWD, DO IT. WE’RE TRYING TO MAKE THE SPORT BETTER AND BRING MORE ATTENTION TO IT."

"I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED DIVING. MY MOM WORKED FOR A DOCTOR WHO HAD A POOL WITH A TWO-FOOT DIVING BOARD. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS SAW ME HAPPY AND SMILING. MY DAD SAW THAT I COULD DO CERTAIN MOVES THAT HE COULDN’T. AND THAT WAS IT."

"ALL THE BEST ATHLETES ARE HERE COMPETING. WE’VE GONE AGAINST THESE ATHLETES BEFORE AND WE’RE GOING TO APPROACH IT IN THAT WAY. THE COMPETITION IS THE SAME AS WHAT WE’RE USED TO BUT THERE’S MORE MEDIA WHEN YOU WIN."

"OUR ENTIRE TEAM IS CAPABLE OF THE BEST. WE HAVE ALL PROVEN IT. WE ALL HAVE TO DO IT."

"I’M DOING THE ONE AND THREE METER."

"I NEEDED A NEW SPACE, A NEW START. MY BROTHER IS GOING THAT COLLEGE [USC]. I’VE LIVED WITH HIM FOR 18 YEARS, I DON’T NEED TO LIVE WITH HIM FOR FOUR MORE."

"IT WAS SOMETHING TO SPARK VIEWERSHIP AND IT’S EXCITING TO WATCH AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND."

"IT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE EDGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION IS GONE SO IT’S NOT QUITE AS INTENSE."

"IF YOUR PARTNER IS NOT THE SAME SIZE AND BODY TYPE. MY PARTNER, JUSTIN, AND I HAVE BEEN CALLED THE FELIX AND OSCAR OF SYNCHRONIZED DIVING BECAUSE I’M 5’10" AND HE’S 5’6". YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR STYLES A LITTLE BIT."

"THE COMPETITORS HAVE MORE ENERGY AND THE CROWD REACTION IS USUALLY PRETTY HUGE. THERE WILL BE LOTS OF SPINNING, TWISTING, AND RIPPED ENTRIES."

"JUSTIN AND I ARE WORKING ON A BIG DIVE. IT’S A FORWARD, TWO AND A HALF WITH TWO TWISTS. IT HAS A DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY OF 3.4. I THINK THAT’S GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY HERE. WE’LL SAVE THAT FOR LAST."

"THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST U.S. TEAMS THAT WE’VE HAD IN A LONG TIME. I THINK A REALISTIC EXPECTATION WOULD BE TO MEDAL IN EACH EVENT."

"I’M DOING THE 1 METER, 3 METER, 10 METER, AND 3 METER SYNCHRO."

MARK RUIZ, DIVING

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED LEVEL OF COMPETITION AT THE GOODWILL GAMES?

"THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY THE RUSSIANS. IT’S GOING TO BE TOUGH BUT OUR TEAM IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. WE HAVE A GOOD SHOT IN THIS COMPETITION."

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DIVING AGAINST DMITRY SAUTIN?

"DMITRY IS A GREAT DIVER AND IT’S GREAT TO COMPETE AGAINST HIM. WE’RE GETTING CLOSER TO HIM AND WILL HOPEFULLY DO WELL."

WHAT EVENTS ARE YOU COMPETING IN?

"I’M DOING THE 1 METER PLATFORM, 3 METER PLATFORM, AND THE SYNCHRO PLATFORM."

WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL FEEL ABOUT THE GOODWILL GAMES?

"IT’S REALLY TIRING AND I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE TOUGH BUT IT’S A LOT OF FUN. I ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE FUN."

ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THE MONEY IF YOU WIN?

"I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL TAKE THE MONEY, IT DEPENDS. I DECIDED NOT TO GO TO COLLEGE RIGHT NOW. INSTEAD, I WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON DIVING AND HAVING FUN. IF I DECIDE LATER ON, I WILL GO BACK TO COLLEGE. WE’LL SEE. FOR NOW, I JUST WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON DIVING."

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE WHILE YOU ARE HERE?

"I WANT TO SEE THE CITY. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE."