Dive-by-Dive Scoring / Live Video
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Steele Johnson rallied for a runner-up finish in the 1-meter springboard final Monday at the USA Diving Winter Nationals, clinching a berth at the 2017 FINA World Championships in the process.
The Boilermakers had three of the top seven finishers on 1-meter. Along with Johnson (805.35), Brandon Loschiavo (722.30) took sixth and Joe Cifelli (715.25) was seventh. Max Showalter (570.50) was 13th in the 10-meter semifinal to advance to Wednesday's final.
Johnson entered the day in fourth place but moved up to the podium finish and World Championships qualifying spot via a list score of 401.1. He got off to a slow start with a 42 on his first dive, but then put up four straight scores in the 70s, averaging 71.82 points over the final five rounds.
Johnson, Loschiavo and Cifelli will compete again in Tuesday's 3-meter final. Johnson will enter day with a lead of 69.3 points in another event in which scores are cumulative. He'll be in search of his first senior USA Diving national title in a springboard event.
"This was my first (U.S.) competition back from Rio. I've been doing some college dual meets and for me, that's been really helpful to get me back in a springboard mode because I haven't done springboard for a year and a half," Johnson said. "I'm just kind of relearning the ropes, and being able to have those meets prepare me for this one was really good." He was an Olympic silver medalist in synchronized 10-meter this summer.
WE'RE GOING TO BUDAPEST! Just got Silver on 1 Meter and qualified for the World Championships next summer! pic.twitter.com/AtnoHKxqPR
-- Steele Johnson (@Steele_Johnson) December 20, 2016
Johnson finished second to Olympian Michael Hixon, who won bronze on 1-meter at the 2015 World Championships. Both men overtook Olympian Sam Dorman, who entered the day with an eight-point lead on Hixon and a 14.8-point lead on Johnson. The 1-meter event has not been a part of the Olympic program before. Although he was the 2015 NCAA champion on 1-meter, Johnson's previous best finish in the event at a USA Diving national meet was 10th place at the 2014 Winter Nationals.
Cifelli posted a list score of 371.8 Monday, improving on his prelim score by 28.35 points. He moved up one spot after entering the night in eighth place. Loschiavo posted a list score of 351.95 in the final after having a personal season-best total 370.35 in the prelim.
Showalter earned list scores of 306.90 in the prelim and 263.6 in the semifinal. He got off to a strong start in the prelim and was in second place after the first two rounds, but managed just two scores above 60 on his final 10 dives of the day over the two rounds. His top score of the day was a 72 on an inward 3 ½ somersault tuck in round two of the prelim.
Johnson was very consistent in rounds two through five of the 1-meter final. His best score was a 74.4 on an inward 2 ½ somersault tuck in round three. Cifelli had five straight scores in the 60s, highlighted by list-high scores of 67.5 in rounds two and four. Loschiavo had four scores in the 60s, including a list-high 61.1 on a forward 2 ½ somersault pick in round two.
The 3-meter final is event No. 2 of Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. ET session on the penultimate day of the 2016 USA Diving Winter Nationals. Showalter will also compete with Olympian Amy (Cozad) Magaña in the mixed synchronized 10-meter event on Tuesday.
Great dive after great dive in the men's 1m final at #WinterNats16 @Steele_Johnson pic.twitter.com/dzLb2rXdXX
-- USA Diving (@USADiving) December 20, 2016
DAILY SCHEDULES AT WINTER NATIONALS
Sessions with events featuring Boilermakers
Tuesday, December 20
4:30 p.m.
Women's 10-meter Final
Men's 3-meter Final - Steele Johnson, Joe Cifelli, Brandon Loschiavo
Mixed Synchronized 10-meter Final & Mixed Synchronized 3-meter Final - Max Showalter
Wednesday, December 21
4:30 p.m.
Women's 3-meter Final
Men's 10-meter Final - Max Showalter