Divers soar on final day of USA FINA Diving Grand Prix in Mission Viejo
Team USA captured 11 medals - three gold, three silver and five bronze - during the 4-day USA FINA Diving Grand Prix at Mission Viejo's Marguerite Aquatics Complex.
The competition, which ended today, was the first Grand Prix meet held in the United States in six years. The event resulted in U.S. divers earning first in two events, three second-place finishes and one third-place finish. More than 23 countries from across the globe competed in this South County city, synonymous for its rich Mission Viejo Nadadores' diving and swimming history.
Alison Gibson (Austin, Texas) and Krysta Palmer (Carson City, Nev.) won women's synchronized 3-meter and Briadam Herrera (Miami, Fla.) topped the men's 3-meter field. Herrera also finished third in mixed synchronized 3-meter with Lauren Reedy (Rochester Hills, Mich.). Jordan Windle (Morrisville, N.C.) also made two trips to the podium after finishing second both individually on 3-meter and with Brandon Loschiavo (Huntington Beach, Calif.) in synchronized 10-meter. Amy Magaña (Indianapolis, Ind.) was second in the women's 10-meter contest.
Gibson and Palmer won the 3-meter synchro title with 294.39 points, edging U.S. teammates Brooke Schultz (Fayetteville, Ark.) and Samantha Bromberg (Bexley, Ohio) for the spot on the podium. Schultz and Bromberg scored 290.40 points, but FINA rules allow only one synchro team per federation to medal. Italy's Chiara Pellacani and Elena Bertocchi earned the second spot with 284.13 points, followed by Australia's Georgia Sheehan and Esther Qin at 280.80.
"It felt really good "¦ We haven't competed together in a while and we haven't trained much together," Gibson said. "The goal was to trust each other and that's what we did. We came out doing really well, and we did what we knew how to do. It turned out really well for us."
The FINA Diving Grand Prix marked the first international event held at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex since its extensive renovation. With a 45-foot dive tower boasting a full-complement of diving platforms, the City's center is the only facility on the West Coast capable of hosting synchronized diving competitions.
See more exciting results at this link.