FINA High Diving World Cup / FINA World Championships / Red Bull Cliff Diving
ABU DHABI, UAE - Purdue diving alumnus Steven LoBue won the silver medal in the men's 27-meter competition Saturday at the FINA High Diving World Cup.
FINA introduced the High Diving World Cup in 2014, and LoBue has now medaled in three of the four competitions. His silver medal in 2017 marks his best finish at the World Cup event; he won bronze in 2014 and 2015.
LoBue (2004-07) finished the 2017 competition with 405.30 points on his four dives, the final two of which were performed Saturday. Great Britain's Gary Hunt led the field with 443.40 points, and Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic was third at 381.95.
Fellow Purdue alumnus Kyle Mitrione (2007-10) finished 19th with 258.95 points. David Colturi (2008-10), LoBue and Mitirone are among the primary American representatives on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The Cliff Diving World Series tour begins its new season June 24 in Ireland.
High diving will also be included on the schedule at the FINA World Aquatic Championships, set for July 14 to 30 in Budapest, Hungary. Current Boilermakers Steele Johnson and Brandon Loschiavo have already qualified for the 2017 World Championships.
FINA also has announced it has formally submitted a proposal to the International Olympic Committee to include high diving at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Ginger Huber just missed the podium in fourth place in women's 20-meter action. Huber was the women's bronze medalist in 2016.
LoBue entered the final two rounds less than a point behind Hunt, but the British champion could not be caught in the finals as he scored 140.40 points and earned a 10 from one judge on his final dive, a back triple somersault with four twists that carried the highest degree of difficulty (5.2) in the contest. LoBue closed out his list with 112.20 points on an inward four somersault with a half twist.
USA's Andy Jones finished ninth with 337.15 points.
In women's 20-meter competition, Huber scored 296.30 points for fourth place, just a half point behind bronze medalist Yana Nestsiarava of Belarus. Mexico's Adriana Jiminez topped the field with 316.45 points, while Australia's Rhiannan Iffland scored 312.80 points for second. Huber entered Saturday's competition in third place but just 6.5 points separated third from seventh after Friday's first two rounds. Nestsiarava moved ahead of Huber by two points in the first round on Saturday; Huber rallied back with 91.20 points on a triple somersault pike in the final round but it wasn't quite enough to retake the third spot.
USA's Cesilie Carlton finished sixth with 271.20 points, and Tara Tira was 11th at 214.10 points.
-- Story by USA Diving
🇺🇸high divers jumping for joy with a 🥈performance from Steve LoBue at @fina1908 High Diving World Cup in Abu Dhabi https://t.co/hq3SwrX9Wl pic.twitter.com/TcKLMy4iro
- USA Diving (@USADiving) April 29, 2017