David Boudia earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Diving Team after winning a gold medal on 10-meter at Olympic Trials.

June 23, 2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - David Boudia hasn't even slipped on an Boilermaker bathing suit, yet he's still garnering as much press on this web site as his future teammates.

That's because the 19 year old from Noblesville, Indiana is now among U.S. Diving royalty after winning a gold medal off the 10-meter platform at this past weekend's Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis.

Boudia scored 1642.20 points through three rounds and 18 dives - some of them perfect. His prize is a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team and a trip to Beijing. The Olympic Games begin Aug. 8.

Boudia recorded perfect scores on back-to-back dives in the fourth and fifth rounds. He earned six 10s for 102 points on his reverse 3 ½ tuck in the fourth round and followed up with the maximum 108 points on five 10s on his back 3 ½ pike in the fifth round.

His 550.30 points for his six dives on Sunday was the highest by an American in the current competition format, besting the 541.30 Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis) had in Thursday's semifinals.

"I definitely feel like I was sharpest at the end of my list. I know I can be sharper, which is odd to say with a 550 score, but that's how I feel," Boudia told USA Diving. "It is exciting to dive as well as I did. I am looking forward to Beijing. This is not the end, it is just the start."

Only the winners of each event earn Olympic nominations. The second individual spot, as well as all four synchronized diving teams, will be chosen at a selection camp in Knoxville, Tenn., from July 2-6. The top six divers on each event at the Trials are invited to the camp.

Former Boilermaker Amanda Miller, who placed ninth at Trials on 3-meter with 910.30 points, will be among the camp participants. She and Christina Loukas, who won the 3-meter gold medal at Trials, are paired for the synchronized 3-meter compeition.

Miller's and Loukas' opponents include Kelci Bryant and Ariel Rittenhouse; Nancilea Foster and Cassidy Krug; and Abby Johnston and Mary Yarrison.

Miller would be the first Purdue graduate to make an Olympic diving team if she and Loukas prove to be the best at the selection camp. Mark Virts, a native of Ft. Wayne, who competed at Purdue in the mid-1970's, qualified for the 1980 Olympics but did not compete due to the U.S. boycott of those games held in the former Soviet Union.

Purdue sophomore-to-be David Colturi placed ninth on 10-meter at Olympic Trials with 1229.30 points, beating out Ohio State's Weston Wieser and Sean Moore. Colturi was in fifth-place following the first two rounds, but scored just 388.75 points over his final six dives.

Colturi totaled 412.80 points during 10-meter prelims and 427.75 points in the semifinal round.

Information and photographs from USA Diving were used in this report