U.S. Olympic Team Trials // Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series / Colutri 27 @ 27 Video Series
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- It is setting up as a big summer for Purdue divers past and present as the Boilermakers will be well represented at numerous elite competitions beginning this month.
Diving's U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the first two competitions of another season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series are on the calendar in June. Headlined by NCAA and USA Diving national champions David Boudia (2009-11) and Steele Johnson (2015-present), seven Boilermakers are scheduled to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Olympic qualifier is set for June 18 to 26 at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Downtown Indianapolis.
But it will be alumni David Colturi (2008-10) and Steven LoBue (2004-07) that kick off the summer competition season this weekend in Texas. The June 4 competition at Possum Kingdom Lake is the first of nine stops on the 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Colturi and LoBue remain two of the three full-time American competitors on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Fellow alumnus Kyle Mitrione (2007-10) is among the list of wildcard entries again this year; each tour stop traditionally features four wildcard divers. All three Boilermakers have competed on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series since 2011.
Colturi finished fifth and LoBue eighth on the 2015 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, an international tour that features divers competing from heights of 27 to 30 meters (88-98 feet) and entering the water feet first. LoBue was victorious in the final tour stop of 2015 in Spain, posting his third career win. Colturi had a pair of top three podium finishes a year ago and is being featured in a "27 @ 27" video series this season at RedBullCliffDiving.com. Fox Sports 1 is set to televise the season-opening competition at Possum Kingdom Lake on Saturday, July 9 at noon ET. Replays of the telecast on FS1 are traditionally a regular occurrence as well.
The other stops on the 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series include Copenhagen (June 18), Portugal (July 9), France (July 23), Italy (Aug. 28), the United Kingdom (Sept. 11), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sept. 24), Japan (Oct. 16), and Dubai (Oct. 28).
BOUDIA, DUNNICHAY TO BE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AT GRAND REOPENING
An extensive $20 million renovation of IUPUI's IU Natatorium was completed this spring. A grand reopening of the facility featuring Purdue divers Mary Beth Dunnichay and David Boudia, both Olympians and Central Indiana natives, is set for Tuesday, June 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. The formal remarks from the distinguished guests at the event are set for 4:30 p.m. Other activities include a reception, meet-and-greet opportunities with the divers, guided tours, aquatic demonstrations and a virtual reality experience.
Current Purdue divers Joe Cifelli, Anna James, Max Showalter along with alumni Nate Cox (2012-15) and MacKenzie Tweardy (2012-15) are also scheduled to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this month. Dunnichay was a 2008 Olympian and three-time All-American during her distinguished diving career, which she decided to bring to a close after the NCAA Championships in March.
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for swimming (June 26-July 3) are being held in Omaha, Nebraska, again this year. Seventeen Boilermakers, a total that includes current swimmers and alumni, have already achieved at least one trial cut to earn an opportunity to compete. A handful of other Purdue swimmers are hoping to join that group during the next few weekends. A complete list of qualifying Boilermakers and their list of events will be available here at PurdueSports.com later this month.
PurdueSports.com will also have a more detailed preview of the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials later this month.