Reuben Ross Advances to Finals of 3-meter Springboard at FINA
July 22, 2009
Complete Semifinals Results in PDF Format 
Rome, Italy – With a score of 434.55 in the semifinals, University of Miami diver Reuben Ross qualified for the finals of the men’s 3-meter springboard Wednesday afternoon at the FINA World Championships at the Stadio del Nuoto in Rome. The finals of the 3-meter are set for tomorrow afternoon.
As a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Ross is competing for his home country of Canada. He finished the semifinals in ninth place, while previously sitting sixth after the preliminary round earlier in the day.
After staking a 69 on his first dive, Ross bounced back on his second dive for a 79.05 on his second dive–a Forward 3 ½ Somersault Pike.
His fourth dive, a Reverse 2 ½ Somersault 1 ½ Twist Free, the junior All-American landed a score of 78.75, tying his second-highest score of the semis. Ross scored the same result on his final dive–a Back 2 ½ Somersault 1 ½ Twist Pike.
Ross earned a bronze medal in the men’s synchronized 3-meter springboard while teaming with Alexandre Despatie over the weekend.
Despatie also advanced to the finals of the 3-meter springboard, finishing the afternoon in first place (485.05). China’s Chong He was second after the semis with a score of 480.90, while the United States’ Troy Dumais was third (471.50).
Ross, the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men’s Diver of the Year, is also scheduled to compete in the men’s 10-meter synchronized platform on Friday, July 24 with partner Riley McCormick.
McCormick, a 17-year old native of Victoria, British Columbia, partnered last with Ross in 2008. The two combined for gold at the Winter Senior National Championships in the 10-meter synchro.
Ross is no stranger to the 10-m platform himself, finishing as an All-American in 2008 and ’09. Ross ended the 2008-09 campaign for UM with a sweep of three consecutive All-America honors at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas–taking home All-America awards in the 1-m, 3-m and platform event.
The diving events at the World Championships continue through July 25. Monday’s competition features women’s 3-meter and men’s 10-meter.
Featuring America’s best divers, USA Diving is the national governing body for the sport of diving. Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Diving offers diversified programs geared toward the broadest number of diving enthusiasts, from the novice to the world champion. USA Diving conducts approximately 40 regional and national events annually and is responsible for training and selecting teams that represent the United States at international events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup. For more information, visit www.usadiving.org.
