Goodwill Games Look Good for U.S. Divers

GOODWILL GAMES LOOK GOOD FOR U.S. DIVERS

15 USA Divers Head to New York for 4th Annual Games

The first three Goodwill Games have featured the world’s best diving talent. The 1998 Goodwill Games will continue this tradition with Olympic medalists, World Champions, former Goodwill Games champions and many national champions making up a field of more than 60 divers. Divers will compete in ten events over five days, July 23-27—men’s and women’s 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, 10-meter platform, 3-meter synchronized springboard and 10-meter synchronized platform.

Heading up the U.S. men’s team are 3-meter national champion Troy Dumais, from Ventura, Calif.; Kissimmee, Fla. native and 1-meter national champion Bryan Gillooly; and platform national champion Mark Ruiz, from Orlando, Fla. Other veteran U.S. divers include 1994 Goodwill Games 1-meter bronze medalist Kevin McMahon, from Fremont, Neb.; his 3-meter synchro national championship teammate Justin Dumais, older brother of Troy and also from Ventura, Calif.; and platform synchro national championship team Chris Mantilla, Boca Raton, Fla., and Kyle Prandi, Strongsville, Ohio.

The U.S. women’s team is just as strong with 1-meter national champion Katie Beth Bryant, from Chatham, Ill.; 1-meter silver medalist Kimiko Hirai from Longmont, Colo.; platform national champion Laura Wilkinson, Spring, Texas; and 3-meter national championship silver medalist Erica Sorgi, Mission Viejo, Calif. The U.S. women also have depth in their synchro program, featuring World Championship bronze medal team Lindsay Long, Lakeside Park, Ky. and Kristin Link, Springfield, Va. on synchro platform and 1998 World Championships 3-meter synchro bronze medal team Tracy Bonner and Kathy Pesek, both from Houston.

The Russian team includes Dmitry Sautin, current 3-meter and platform World Champion and platform Olympic champion who is considered to be the best male diver in the world today and 1998 world champions Irina Lashko (1-meter, 3-meter synchro) and Yuliya Pakhalina (3-meter, 3-meter synchro).

Similarly, China’s team is very successful, featuring world champion Yu Zhoucheng (1-meter) and 1998 World silver medalists Cai Yuyan (platform, platform synchro) and Guo Jingjing (3-meter).

Also watch for Ukraine’s stars Olena Zhupina, 1998 world individual and synchronized champion, and Svetlana Serbina, Zhupina’s world championship synchro partner. But don’t count out the other six countries competing in diving at these Games—Australia, Germany, Mexico, France, Sweden and Zimbabwe. Each one boasts divers with impressive international records.

The recent FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix, held in early May in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., provided an easy preview of the Goodwill Games because it featured many of the world’s top divers. Although all individual-event gold medals went to divers from either Russia or China, the U.S. finished better than the last four years, claiming a total medal count of three bronze, five silver and one gold.

With the Goodwill Games’ "finals only" format, there is no margin for error. One mistake could mean the difference between a gold or silver medal, or even winning any medal at all. So although the top names figure to be the leading medal contenders, expect the unexpected at the Nassau County Swimming and Diving Center.