IU divers go 1-2-3 in men's 3m springboard, send Andrew Capobianco, Carson Tyler to Paris
Andrew Capobianco is heading to his second Olympic Games and Carson Tyler to his second Olympic event.
The Indiana University divers finished first and second, respectively, on 3-meter springboard during Sunday’s closing day of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Knoxville. Tenn.
Out of 12 Olympic spots, divers with Indiana connections have claimed eight, and by six different divers. IU has placed a diver into every Olympic Games since 1964.
Two divers from Purdue are on hold.
Brandon Loschiavo and Daryn Wright finished second on men’s and women’s 10-meter platform, but the United States has secured one entry in those events. If World Aquatics allocates additional spots, the state could be sending eight divers to the Paris Olympics.
Capobianco completed two lists of six dives each with 971.80 points. Tyler scored 945.75.
Capobianco missed his fourth dive of finals — a back 3 ½ somersault tuck that was awarded 3s and 2.5s — and had his lead over Tyler shrink to 2.1 points. But he scored 93.60 and 93.10 on his final two dives, earning mostly 8s.
Another IU diver, Quinn Henninger, was third with 870.50. Tyler Downs, who made the team in synchro 3-meter, was fifth with 842.40.
“Usually, I’m pretty good at being the comeback kid and coming from behind, so I’m not really used to have that lead and having to try and keep it,” Capobianco said. “It’s definitely hard to dive like that where you’re diving not to miss instead of diving to hit.
“I think I did a good job managing that.”
Capobianco, 24, of Holly Springs, N.C., is a former gymnast and son of two former members of the New York Police Department. His father, Mike, is often caught on camera by NBC celebrating dives by his son. Capobianco was a three-time NCAA champion for the Hoosiers.
Capobianco won a silver medal in 3-meter synchro at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with former IU diver Michael Hixon, who retired afterward. Capobianco and Henninger were second to the Purdue team of Greg Duncan and Downs — by less than three points — in a duel for the lone synchro spot.
Tyler, 20, of Moultrie, Ga., won 10-meter platform Saturday. He will be the first American in 24 years to compete in both men’s individual diving events at an Olympics.
“Hearing that is just crazy. It really doesn’t sound real,” Tyler said.
Mark Ruiz did the double in 2000, as did Greg Louganis in 1988, 1984 and 1976.
In 10-meter Sunday, Delaney Schnell won with a total of 638.00 points. Wright, 20, of Plainfield, was second with 596.35. Another Purdue diver, Sophia McAfee, was third with 581.70.
In the last round, Wright had her highest score, 68.80, on a back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists.
Besides Capobianco, Tyler, Duncan and Downs, divers making the team include IU graduate Jessica Parratto in synchro 10-meter and Indianapolis native Sarah Bacon in individual and synchro 3-meter.
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana divers go 1-2-3 in 3m springboard at US Diving Olympic Trials
