Two former gymnasts are headed to the Olympics to represent the United States in women's springboard diving.
Melisa Moses and Jenny Keim, old friends who began diving after a series of injuries forced them out of gymnastics, became the first divers Thursday night to earn a trip to Atlanta. Six more divers will join them before the competition at the Indiana University Natatorium ends Sunday.Moses, who took over first place on the fifth of her 15 dives in the two-day competition and led after each of the next 10 rounds, finished with a score of 862.53.
Keim, the current national springboard champion, received three perfect scores of 10.0 for a reverse 2 1/2 somersault and totaled 823.65 points to land on the Olympic team at age 18.
"I was shocked," Keim said. "Ron (O'Brien, her coach) told me it was the best one I'd done in my life. I don't remember too much of it."
Meanwhile, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Mark Lenzi has his work cut out for him today in the men's springboard event.
Lenzi, a former high school wrestler who retired from the sport following his Olympic effort, only to return after a 20-month layoff, was fifth heading into today's semifinals of the 3-meter event with a 433.56 total.
Scott Donie held the lead after Thursday's prelims, followed by Dean Panaro at 458.67. Mark Bradshaw, a 1988 Olympian, was third at 449.88 and Kevin McMahon was also ahead of Lenzi with 441.18 for his six prelim dives.
Moses, 24, performed consistently even after Keim's next-to-last dive earned a standing ovation from the crowd.
"I was just trying to stay focused and take it one dive at a time. What really pulled me through was my consistency throughout the meet," Moses said. "It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be."
She was rooting for Keim, who became friends with Moses when they lived and trained together in Florida several years ago.
"It was our dream not only to make it, but do it together," Moses said. "We talk to each other a lot and try to boost each other up when we need it."
Both former gymnasts took a similar road to the Olympic team. Moses took up diving at 16 after a broken hand and serious neck injury ended her gymnastics career. Keim began diving 10 years ago after suffering a stress fracture of the spine and leaving famed gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi.
While Moses was never passed on the final day of the event, Keim was fifth after her first dive Thursday and was third after the semifinals.
Among the competitors she passed was Mary Ellen Clark, a 1992 Olympian, who faltered on a backward 2 1/2 somersault that dropped her from fourth to sixth where she finished.
"I fell off the board and then it was tough to control the entry," she said of her botched attempt.