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Olympic news and notes: Colwill gets invite

By Dave Scheiber, Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writers and , wire reports
In print: Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Chris Colwill performs a dive in the finals of the men’s 3-meter springboard June 21 at the U.S Olympic trials. Colwill, a former star at Tampa Prep, will dive in his first Olympics.
	[Associated Press]

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Tampa Prep graduate to dive in two events

Brandon's Chris Colwill is making the biggest leap of his diving career — all the way to Beijing. Colwill, a graduate of Tampa Prep and the University of Georgia, qualified for the 12-member U.S. team Monday in the 3-meter and 3-meter synchronized events after intense competition at the five-day Olympic selection camp in Knoxville, Tenn. "It's definitely exciting news," said Colwill, 23, while driving home to Athens, Ga. "There was a pretty good shot of going in the synchro, but the 3-meter individual was really a battle. I had to be in my peak performance to prove to the (selection) committee that I was ready for the Games." Colwill edged out good friend and 3-meter synchro partner Jevon Tarantino of Boca Raton and the University of Tennessee for the one available 3-meter spot behind Troy Dumais, who won the event at last month's trials. Colwill, the runnerup at the trials, and Tarantino will compete together in the synchronized event. Colwill got the news at practice Monday morning, before the official announcement at noon. "I knew my chances were good. I was pretty happy with my performance Saturday night," he said. "But it's a big relief to see my name on paper. I think it'll take a couple of days to sink in."

Teens make way onto American dive team

Two 15-year-olds are among the newcomers joining Chris Colwill on the U.S. diving team. Haley Ishimatsu was chosen at the selection camp for the individual and two-person synchronized platform events and Mary Beth Dunnichay for the synchro platform with Ishimatsu. Eight divers in all earned Olympic spots at the camp, chosen by a nine-person U.S. Diving committee. The committee considered the divers' performances at the Olympic trials and other meets. Automatic Olympic berths went to the four trials winners, Troy Dumais and Christina Loukas on 3-meter and Laura Wilkinson and David Boudia on platform. Dumais and Wilkinson made their third Olympic teams. Loukas and Boudia are rookies. Romano will swim in other summer event

Megan Romano of St. Petersburg isn't going to the Olympics, but she still gets to swim in an international event. Romano, a senior-to-be at Northeast High, was selected for the U.S. team at the FINA Youth World Championships in Monterrey, Mexico. The meet, for swimmers 18 and younger, starts today and ends Sunday. Romano will compete in the 100 free, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay. Romano, who has mononucleosis, competed at the Olympic trials but didn't make it out of the preliminaries in any of her four events. She finished by placing 71st out of 88 in the 50 freestyle.

Gators coach to assist U.S. swimming team

University of Florida swimming coach Gregg Troy was named an assistant coach of the U.S. men's Olympic team. Troy, a veteran of international competitions, joins head coach Eddie Reese and assistants Bob Bowman, coach of Michael Phelps and most recently head coach at Michigan, and Frank Busch, the coach at Arizona. "Any time you have the chance to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team, it's an honor," Troy said. The men's and women's teams include two of Troy's former Gators, multiple medal contender Ryan Lochte and Caroline Burckle. Monday, the teams headed to Palo Alto, Calif., for a training camp before going to Beijing. Bay area trials wrapup

The runnerup in the women's 100-meter hurdles at the track and field trials, and earner of a trip to Beijing, was Damu Cherry, who competed at Tampa Leto High and South Florida in the 1990s. Going into the trials at Eugene, Ore., she had the world's fastest time this year. Cherry served a two-year drug suspension in 2003-05 for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Cherry has said she didn't knowingly take a steroid and the positive result was caused by a vitamin.

• The Olympic hopes of Brooksville's John Capel, left, were snuffed in the semifinals of the 200 meters at the track trials. He finished seventh of eight in his heat, which included eventual winner Walter Dix of Florida State, and didn't advance to the final.

• At the swimming trials, Clearwater native Robert Margalis, left, made the final of the 1,500 meters and finished seventh. In the 50 freestyle, Kaitlin Frehling, a Seminole High junior to be who won the state 50-yard title last year, was 64th in the prelims.

Having proved she has as much Ironman in her as Robert Downey Jr. this summer, 41-year-old Dara Torres has decided to cut back on her Olympic schedule to increase her chance of winning a medal. Torres, left, dropped out of the 100-meter freestyle Monday, choosing to make the 50 free her only individual event in her record fifth Games. Torres, the mother of a 2-year-old, had expressed concern that competing in two individual events and possibly two relays during the eight-day competition would be too hard on her body. She won the 50 and 100 at the Olympic trials, which ended Sunday in Omaha, Neb. In the 50, her favorite event, she lowered the American record three times in two days at the trials. In the 100 she'll be replaced by Lacey Nymeyer, who finished third at the trials.

[Last modified: Jul 08, 2008 08:07 AM]