U.S. DIVERS MISS OUT ON MEDALS AT SPEEDO/FINA DIVING GRAND PRIX
 
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – U.S. divers Rachelle Kunkel (West Valley City, Utah) and Mark Ruiz (Orlando, Fla.) fell just short of reaching the awards podium on the final day of the 2004 Speedo/FINA Diving Grand Prix.  For the third day in a row, divers from China swept the gold medals.
 
In the women’s three-meter springboard event, China’s Wu Min Xia took the gold with a score of 355.30 points. Australia’s Irina Lashko, the 1992 and 1996 Olympic silver medalist in this event for Russia, captured the silver with a score of 340.45.  Blythe Hartley of Canada won the bronze with 335.15 points and the USA’s Kunkel finished fourth with 321.85 points.
 
Guo Jingjing, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist in this event, was leading the contest after the second round, but did not complete the rotation on her third round dive, a forward 3 1⁄2 somersaults in pike, and received scores of zero from all the judges.  She ended up sixth.
 
In the men’s platform event, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Tian Liang of China received two perfect 10’s and 11 scores of 9.5 on his way to winning the event by 56 points over runner-up Peter Waterfield of Great Britain.  Liang ended with 539.97 points to Waterfield’s 483.30 points.
Russia’s Gleb Galperin finished third with the score of 470.88 points.
 
Ruiz, who was in third going into the final round, scored 6.5’s to 7.5’s on his final dive and fell to fifth place, just three points shy of the bronze medal position.  Ruiz ended with 467.67 points.
 

Results

Thursday, May 6
Men’s 3-meter Springboard Preliminaries, Semi A, Semi B
Women’s Platform Preliminaries, Semi A, Semi B
Men’s 3-meter Springboard Synchro Final
Women’s Platform Synchro Final

Friday, May 7
Women’s 3-meter Springboard Preliminaries, Semi A, Semi B
Men’s Platform Preliminaries, Semi A, Semi B
Women’s 3-meter Synchro Final
Men’s Platform Synchro Final

Saturday, May 8
Men's 3-meter Springboard Final
Women's Platform Final
 
Sunday, May 9
Women's 3-meter Springboard Final
Men's Platform Final