Tampa Prep’s Colwill wins Grand Prix dive meet

Posted May 13, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 13, 2012 at 04:38 PM

Tampa Prep and University of Georgia product Chris Colwill put together one of his best performances of the year to capture first place by less than a point in Sunday’s 3-meter springboard finals of the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale.

Colwill, a 2008 Olympian, came from behind to win Sunday’s final. He and the six other finalists performed six dives, with Colwill winning by just .35 points over China’s Li Shixin. The key dives for Colwill were pulling off an extremely difficult forward 4-1/2 tuck that scored 79.80 him points and, on his last dive, a reverse 3-1/2 somersault tuck that he totaled 91 points.

In Friday’s semifinals, Colwill scored 442.45 points to win by nearly 50 points. There, his best dive came in the third round when he scored 81.60 points on his front 2-1/2 with two twists. That put him in first place and he followed that up with 79.90 points on his reverse 1-1/2 with 3-1/2 twists on his fourth dive.

More than 80 divers from 12 countries competed in this week’s meet at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex. That included six Olympic medalists, 24 Olympians and several World Championships and World Cup medalists. Colwill and his fellow American divers will compete for spots on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team June 17-24 at the Olympic trials in Federal Way, Wash.

“This (victory) was definitely a good confidence booster,’’ Colwill said by telephone after the meet. ‘‘Even though I missed a few dives throughout the week, those are things I can fix to make better. I feel like I’m doing what I need to be doing to be ready for the (Olympic) trials.’‘

Photo: Chris Colwill on the awards podium with China’s Li Shixin and Mexico’s Alejandro Daniel Islas Arroyo following the 3-meter springboard final in Fort Lauderdale. Photo courtesy of Chuck Colwill.