Courtesy: USA Diving
BEIJING, China – Team USA returned to competition Thursday morning to compete in the 3-meter synchro finals, as Maria Coburn (Austin, Texas) and Krysta Palmer (Carson City, Nev./Reno, Nev.) placed seventh in the women’s event. Mark Anderson (Lake Forest, Calif./Austin, Texas) and Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Mo.) wrapped up competition in sixth place in the men’s final.
After missing the Sagamihara World Series due to injury, Palmer returned to the springboard as she joined Coburn in the women’s 3-meter synchro to score 252.45 overall points to finish in seventh place. The pair struggled throughout the final, as they were unable to climb up from seventh place and build momentum. Their strongest dive in the event, a front 2 ½ somersaults with 1 twist scored 60.30 points for the American duo. China’s Shi Tingmao and Wang Han captured the gold with 339.30 points, while Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith of Australia finished 38.37 points behind the Chinese divers to earn silver medals. Great Britain’s Grace Reid and Katherine Torrance placed third with 292.47 points.
Anderson and Downs wrapped up the men’s 3-meter synchro final in sixth place with 350.85 overall points. The synchro partners began competition in a three-way tie for fifth place with Russia and Ukraine before they held the solo spot for fifth place in the second round. Despite their early efforts, the pair slipped to seventh place in the following round, where they held the spot through the fifth round. The pair’s final dive, a front 2 ½ somersaults with 2 twists scored 67.32 points, allowing the teenage duo to inch up to sixth place to finish competition. Cao Yuan and Xie Siyi of China won gold medals after scoring 469.08 points. Mexico’s Jahir Ocampo Marroquin and Rommel Pacheco Marrufo earned silver with 413.61 points, while Canada’s Philippe Gagne and Francois Imbeau-Dulac finished 14.13 points behind the Mexican divers to clinch the bronze medals.
The World Series – Beijing continues Thursday evening at 9:00 pm ET with Coburn and Palmer competing in the women’s 3-meter semifinals. The FINA Diving World Series – Beijing can be watched on FINA TV.
