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Incoming Purdue Diver Tyler Downs Qualifies for Olympics in 3-Meter, David Boudia Falls Short

Originally posted on FanNation Boilermakers Country
By D.J. Fezler | Last updated 6/14/21

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Downs, a 17-year-old incoming Purdue diver, qualified for the United States Olympic Team in the 3-meter dive on Sunday. He performed six high-scoring dives to propel himself to qualification and a victory at the event.

Downs entered the night in fourth place and sat 4.3 points behind second, which would earn him a bid to the Olympic Games. His final list on Sunday was highlighted by a 92.75-pound dive in Round 5 that gave him the lead and eventually the victory.

The native of Ballwin, Missouri, won the three-list competition with a cumulative score of 1333.75. He scored 423.05 points in the preliminary round, 446.85 in the semifinal and 463.85 in the Sunday final.

Downs is the youngest diver to qualify for Team USA this year. He also finished in the top-five finisher in the 10-meter dive on Saturday, an event won by former Purdue diver and fellow first-time Olympian Brandon Loschiavo.

Downs currently competes for RipFest diving, coached by John Wingfield, in the Indianapolis area. Wingfield also coached former Purdue diver David Boudia before he joined the Boilermakers as a freshman in the fall of 2008.

Boudia placed third overall on the Sunday event, just one place shy of an Olympic bid. He scored a three-list total of 1314.95, finishing just 4.45 points behind Andrew Capobianco in second place after entering the final day in the lead.

Boudia was vying to become the third American diver to be a four-time Olympian but ultimately fell short. At 32 years old, Boudia was the only 30-year-old man competing at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this year. He also competed on 3-meter for the first time at the Olympic Trials after winning four Olympic medals on the 10-meter dive.

After a preliminary score of 434.50 and a semifinal score of 455.20, Boudia’s list score dropped to 425.25 on Sunday. His lowest-scoring dive before the final was 57.8, but he recorded a 40.80 in Round 4 on Sunday that cost him. He rebounded with scores of 80.50 and 84 in the final two rounds but could not retake a spot in the top two.

Diving at the Tokyo Olympic Games is set for July 25 to Aug. 7. The men’s 3-meter competition begins on Aug. 2. The men’s 10-meter competition is on Aug. 6.