“This is my first international meet in about four years, so for me it was a good way to come back,” said Yarrison. “I was glad it was a consistent day. I didn’t really hit anything or really miss anything, I was just solid all across. I feel like that’s something I’ve been missing for awhile. For the team, I feel like that was a good first final.”
Yarrison scored consistently through the finals, with her highest-scored dive coming in the form of a 58.5 –point forward 2 ½ somersault pike. The competition came down to the final round with Yarrison facing tight competition from Chinese divers Xingi Yao and Yuting Yang. Yang dove first, scoring 53.3 points on her final performance. Yarrison needed to score at least 52.75 points to say ahead of Yang, and did so easily, earning 55.2 points for an inward 1 ½ somersault pike. The last diver of the session, Yao could move into third with a 4.55 average, but scored just 16.9 points to finish in seventh place.
Two swimmers tied for the gold medal with Italy’s Noemi Batki and Maria Voloshchenko of the Ukraine each scoring 280.65. The first-place score was just 4.35 points ahead of Yarrison’s bronze-winning effort.
University of Texas senior Mary Yarrison (Springfield, Va.) advanced to the finals
in the women’s 1m springboard as the third day of diving got underway in at the World University Games today. Yarrison finished second in the preliminary round with a score of 273.10 and advanced automatically to the finals. Yarrison finished just 1.3 points behind top qualifier, Xinyi Yao of China. The finals begin immediately.Yarrison led all divers with 219.1 points after four dives, following her 58.5-point execution of a forward 2 ½ somersault pike. Despite closing her program with a solid score of (54.0) for an inward 1 ½ somersault pike, Yarrison was edged by Yao, who concluded her program with the highest score of the session, a reverse 1 ½ somersaults, 1 ½ twists in the free position for 61.1 points.
Also competing for the USA, Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill. / Indiana) dove her way into the semi-finals today after scoring 247.25 points to finish 11th in prelims. Teammate Amanda Miller (Centreville, Ind. / Purdue) also finished in a semifinal-worthy 12th position, but was not allowed to compete in the due to FISU rules which allow only two divers per nation to advance.
In a semifinal field that included China’s Yuting Yang, Italy’s Noemi Batki, South Africa’s Jenna Dreyer and Mexico’s Laura Sanchez, Loukas finished just 5.2 points away from a finals berth, scoring 257 points. The IU product was well on her way to a finals bid with a string of dives scoring in the mid-50’s, but struggled with her fourth dive, a reverse 1 ½ somersault pike (36 points), to fall to fifth place.
About USA Diving: 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 additional information please visit www.usadiving.org.
