Dorman Named to Team USA at World Cup Trials
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a contest that came down to the final dive, Miami Hurricane Sam Dorman and partner Dave Boudia scored 788.67 points over two lists of dives to capture first in the men’s synchronized 3-meter contest Saturday at the World Cup Synchronized Diving Trials.
The win earns Boudia and Dorman a spot on the Team USA roster at the FINA Diving World Cup, the top international meet of the 2014 season. Dorman and Boudia also won the 3-meter synchro title in their first competition together. The World Cup is set for July 15-20 in Shanghai.
Boudia has been competing at world-level events since 2006, although the 2014 World Cup will be his first world event competing on springboard. The World Cup will be Dorman’s first major world meet.
“I’m kind of speechless. It’s the first big meet I’ve ever made, so I just want to go and have fun,” Dorman said.
In the final round, Boudia and Dorman had the edge in difficulty, performing a reverse 1 ½ with 3 ½ twists (3.5 DD) that earned 88.20 points on marks as high as 9.0.
“After the front 4 1/2, I was like, ‘Man, that might be it’, but then they had a little bit of a miss and now we’re back in the game. Three-meter is a little different. I’m still learning how to compete it, so I’ll transition that 10-meter experience down to 3-meter one day,” said Boudia, who won Olympic gold on 10-meter in 2012.
Dorman said struggles balancing class work and practice has paid off.
“It’s been a tough few weeks balancing school, injuries, and diving, but it’s clearly been worth it,” Dorman said. “I’ve been dealing with a few injuries and school has been really tough this semester, so I haven’t been practicing as much.”
The Tempe, Ariz., native said longtime repetition of the dives has been key to his success.
“I’ve been doing these dives long enough to know what I need to do,” Dorman said. “David and I have some work to do before Shanghai – we’ll definitely need more than one day of practice together.”
The World Cup Synchronized Diving Trials continue through Sunday, April 13. Sunday’s competition features men’s and women’s synchronized 10-meter diving.
