Dive-by-Dive Scoring / Complete USA Diving Release
INDIANAPOLIS - A runner-up finish on 3-meter has earned Purdue's Steele Johnson a bid in a third event at the FINA World Championships this summer.
Johnson finished second to Michael Hixon by just 3.55 points over the three lists of competition this weekend at the USA Diving World Championships Individual Trials at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI. Johnson had previous qualified for Worlds in synchronized 10-meter with fellow Boilermaker Brandon Loschiavo. Johnson's runner-up finish on 1-meter at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in December earned clinched first bid to the premier international competition of 2017.
Johnson and Hixon (1-meter, 3-meter, synchronized 3-meter) were the only divers to qualify for Worlds IN three different events this year.
Boilermakers Joe Cifelli, Morgan Meixner, Samm Reese, Max Showalter, Lexi Vincent and Loschiavo also competed this weekend in Indianapolis. Loschiavo was third on 10-meter, finishing 161.85 points behind second place in the cumulative three-list scoring in his bid to qualify for Worlds individually. As finalists, Cifelli placed fourth on 3-meter, Vincent took seventh on 10-meter and Reese finished 10th on 3-meter. Showalter withdrew after placing 10th in the 10-meter prelims. Meixner was 21st in the 3-meter prelims.
Johnson will be competing at his second World Championships, but will be diving in the springboard events for the first time. He swept the springboard titles and took silver on 10-meter at the NCAA Championships earlier this year. The 10-meter Olympian opted to focus to individual springboard events this summer in an effort to avoid some of the wear and tear experienced trailing 10-meter full time.
"Since the Olympics, I've mostly been doing 1-meter and 3-meter just to give my body a break from 10-meter," Johnson said. To come in and put down a 480 list in the finals is encouraging knowing there's still room to grow," Johnson said. Synchronized 10-meter is still my main focus and what I enjoy the most. I didn't have any expectations for myself (on springboard) and I don't think many people had expectations for me because this was my first time trying out for 3-meter (on a national qualifying level)."
Also qualifying for the World Championships on Sunday were Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell in women's 10-meter, David Dinsmore and Jordan Windle in men's 10-meter, and Brooke Schultz and Krysta Palmer in women's 3-meter.
In all, 17 divers will represent the U.S. at the FINA World Championships, which will be held July 14-22 in Budapest, Hungary.
Hixon won the men's 3-meter contest with 1317.55 points, with Johnson finishing just behind him with 1314.00 points. The two Olympic medalists went back and forth in the final. Johnson took the lead after round three but Hixon came through with 80 or more points on his final three dive, including 91.80 on his inward 3 ½ tuck in round five, to end up with the narrow victory.
"I think with the dives we're doing now and the caliber we're doing them at, we can be contenders (internationally)," Hixon said.
USA DIVING ROSTER FOR 2017 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Men's 3-meter
Michael Hixon
Steele Johnson
Women's 3-meter
Brooke Schultz
Krysta Palmer
Men's 10-meter
David Dinsmore
Jordan Windle
Women's 10-meter
Jessica Parratto
Delaney Schnell
PREVIOUSLY SELECTED
Men's 1-meter
Michael Hixon
Steele Johnson
Men's synchronized 10- meter
Steele Johnson
Brandon Loschiavo
Women's 1-meter
Maria Coburn
Alison Gibson
Men's synchronized 3-meter
Sam Dorman
Michael Hixon
Women's synchronized 3-meter
Maria Coburn
Kassidy Cook
Women's synchronized 10-meter
Tarrin Gilliland
Jessica Parratto
Mixed synchronized 3-meter
Briadam Herrera
Lauren Reedy
Mixed synchronized 10-meter
Andrew Capobianco
Tarrin Gilliland