Downs, Schnell capture final spots on US Olympic diving team

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyler Downs defeated a pair of Olympians to win the men’s 3-meter springboard title at the U.S. diving trials, earning a trip to the Tokyo Games at age 17. Delaney Schnell won the women’s 10-meter platform title on Sunday.

Downs finished with 1,333.75 points. Andrew Copobianco took second at 1,319.40.

David Boudia, who won the 10-meter title at the 2012 London Games and finished third in Rio five years ago, was third and missed out on a fourth Olympic appearance. He totaled 1,314.95. Michael Hixon, silver medalist on 3-meter synchro in 2016, was fourth.

“This was not by far my best competition,” Boudia said.

He switched from platform to springboard after sustaining a concussion in practice in 2018. In the finals Sunday, Boudia dropped from first to third after four rounds. He dropped to fifth before rallying to take third.

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But the father of three expressed no regrets.

“I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from a defeat like this so happy ever in my career,” Boudia said. “I look at Andrew and how he’s battled back. He got the job done. Tyler Downs, I think everyone in this building had a tear for him. He has an exciting future and I’m super proud of him.”

Tokyo will be Downs' second international-level meet.

Schnell won the women's platform with 1,021.90 points to earn her second berth for Tokyo. Earlier, she and partner Jessica Parratto qualified first in 10-meter synchro. Parratto finished fourth in individual platform.

Katrina Young, a 2016 Olympian, earned the second spot by taking second at 984.70.

Laura Wilkinson, the 2000 Olympic champion, finished 10th of 12 divers in the final. The 43-year-old mother of four had first retired in 2008 after her third games.

Her victory in Sydney is the last by an American woman in the games.

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