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For Release: April 30
Divers to Dazzle and Soar to New Heights at the 1998 Goodwill Games
Synchronized Diving Included for First Time in Games' History
The world's most talented and competitive divers will dazzle, dare and soar into the Goodwill Games' history books this summer. For the first time in a multi-sport event competition, divers will be rewarded for their finishes, competing for the largest prize purse ever in a diving event. Goodwill Games representatives announced today that more than 60 of the world's most talented divers are expected to compete in this summer's Goodwill Games. The diving competition, scheduled for July 23-27, will be held at the brand new Nassau County Goodwill Games Swimming and Diving Center. The announcement came at a press conference held for the dedication of the new multi-million dollar aquatics facility in Nassau County.
"We anticipate the most spectacular and competitive diving competition ever for the Games," said Goodwill Games President Mike Plant. "These divers are poised and talented and will set a precedent for future diving events."
The diving competition format will include 10 events, five female and five male: 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, 10-meter platform, synchronized 3-meter springboard and synchronized 10-meter platform. Synchronized diving, a first-time event in a Goodwill Games, will include six diving teams of two athletes per team.
"The Goodwill Games have set the standard for international diving," said U.S. Diving President Steve McFarland. "Many of the world's most noted divers began their international diving careers at past Goodwill Games. We look to the 1998 competition with great anticipation and curiosity for emerging talent."
Individual divers who claim Goodwill gold will take home a $4,000 prize purse. Silver medalists will earn $2,000; bronze medalists will receive $1,500 and fourth-place finishers will post a $1,000 earning. Fifth through eight-place finishers will earn $500.
Synchronized diving teams will dive for a $5,000 first-place finish. The silver-medal squad will earn $3,000 and the bronze-medal duo will be awarded $1,000, while fourth through sixth-place teams will earn $500.
Athletes have qualified through results from the 1998 FINA World Championships and by invitations. The Games' will showcase an array of international divers, including world-class talent from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, United States, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. The countries of China, Russia, and the U.S. highlight the diving competition as the current diving world powers.
CHINA: China has dominated international diving since the 1988 Olympic Games, winning the most medals at every Olympics, World Championships and World Cup over a 10-year span. At the 1998 World Championships, Chinese divers captured 11 out of a possible 30 medals, including three golds. China's rise to dominance actually began at the 1984 Olympics where Zhou Jihong won the nation's first Olympic gold medal. Chinese stars such as Gao Min, Fu Mingxia, Sun Shuwei and Xiong Ni have gone on to become Olympic and World champions and secure China's place as a diving power. Though China is going through a rebuilding period with many new divers, they figure to challenge for medals in every event at the 1998 Goodwill Games. At the 1990 Goodwill Games, Mingxia, a mere 11-year-old, won the 10-meter platform gold medal. Two years later she claimed Olympic fame, winning gold medals on both the 1-meter and the platform.
RUSSIA: Despite the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's diving team is as good, or possibly better, than ever before. Russian divers won five gold medals at the 1998 World Championships, surpassing even China in that category. Russia's star is 1996 Olympic platform gold medalist Dmitry Sautin who is generally regarded as the world's best male diver. Sautin has swept 3- meter springboard and 10-meter platform gold medals at the 1997 World Cup and the 1998 World Championships. His strength and versatility have made him nearly unbeatable over the last two years. Other top divers for Russia in recent years have included Irina Lashko, Vera Ilyina, Yulia Pakhalina and Vladimir Timoshinin. Like China, Russia is a contender in every event going into the 1998 Goodwill Games.
UNITED STATES: Despite China and Russia's dominance in the 1990s, the United States and several other countries continue to challenge, giving the sport its greatest level of parity in history. U.S. divers won two medals at the 1996 Olympic Games and three at the 1998 World Championships. Troy Dumais, a native of Ventura, Calif., and a senior at Buena High School, clinched a silver medal at both the 1997 Diving World Cup and the 1998 FINA World Championships.
The 1998 Goodwill Games are scheduled July 19 - August 2, in Manhattan, Nassau County and on Staten Island. The Games will feature approximately 1,500 international athletes competing in 15 sports for a prize purse of $5 million dollars in world record/performance incentives, the largest prize purse in multi- sport history.
TBS Superstation, the Games' host network, will televise 45 hours of prime-time coverage of the 1998 Goodwill Games. CBS will televise 10 hours of weekend, afternoon coverage. In addition to appearing on TBS and CBS, boxing will be televised on HBO as part of the Boxing After Dark series. The 1998 Games mark the first time a sporting event has appeared on all three levels of television distribution. Turner Sports is the host broadcaster and is coordinating all aspects of the production. Internationally, the syndication rights are being sold by Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, and the Games are expected to be broadcast to more than 130 countries.
The Goodwill Games are hosted through a combined effort between Goodwill Games, Inc. and the participating sports federations, in conjunction with the appropriate state, city and county governmental agencies. Goodwill Games, Inc., a division of Turner Sports and Time Warner, Inc., is responsible for all aspects of the event.
CONTACTS: Michael Lewellen Goodwill Games/Atlanta 404/827-4786Richard Finn Goodwill Games/New York 212/484-7647US Diving Seth Pederson 317/237-5252