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Colwill Gets Another Olympic Shot

AP Photo

Chris Colwill performs a dive in the finals of the men's 3-meter springboard at the U.S Olympic diving trials in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 21, 2008.

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By BILL WARD

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 3, 2008

TAMPA - TAMPA - Brandon's Chris Colwill didn't clinch a berth in the Beijing Games at the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials but he can punch his ticket for China during the course of the next three days as the Olympic Team Selection Camp gets under way in Knoxville, Tenn.

Colwill, a Tampa Prep and University of Georgia graduate, finished a strong second in men's 3-meter springboard at last month's trials, 87.8 points behind winner Troy Dumais of Texas and 101.7 points ahead of third-place Justin Wilcock of Indianapolis.

But unlike trials in other sports, such as track and swimming, only the winners of each event at the dive trials locked up Olympic berths. The other individual spots, as well as all four synchronized diving teams, will be chosen at this week's camp at the University of Tennessee's new aquatics facility.

Colwill begins competition today at noon in 3-meter individual, where he will perform two lists of six dives each. At 7 p.m., he returns to compete in 3-meter synchro with Jevon Tarantino of Boca Raton. In that event, they will also perform 12 dives.

Saturday, Colwill and Tarantino, who is also competing for an Olympic berth in 3-meter individual, repeat today's schedule in the final rounds. After the camp concludes Sunday, USA Diving's International Team selectors will meet to determine the remaining spots on the Olympic roster, which will be announced at a Monday news conference.

After his solid showing at the trials, Colwill said he feels good about his chances of making the Olympic team at the selection camp.

"I gained a lot of confidence at the trials and, hopefully, I'll carry that into the camp," Colwill said. "It's quite difficult to be competing on and off like this. You don't get time between the two meets to train but I feel pretty good about how I'm diving right now."

The selection process of the camp is not, however, a simple matter of who turns in the top scores. Before announcing the Olympic squad, the selectors will weigh other factors, including performance at the trials, rankings and results from recent diving World Cups and World Championships.

There, too, Colwill holds an edge. Not only did he finish second at the trials in 3-meter, but also he is the only diver at the camp besides Dumais who competed in the last two World Cups and 2007 World Championships.

"In that way, it's good that past performances do count," Colwill said. "But right now, I just have to go in there and dive like I did at the trials."

Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456 or wward@tampatrib.com.

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