Wilcock remains in contention

He's fourth going into today's U.S. Olympic Trials finals

Published: Saturday, June 21, 2008 12:02 a.m. MDT
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INDIANAPOLIS — Justin Wilcock is keeping his return-to-the-Olympics hopes alive, firmly entrenched among the top four divers in the men's 3-meter springboard going into today's finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Wilcock, the Smithfield native and three-time conference diver of the year at BYU whose 2004 Athens Games effort was hindered by a debilitating back injury, is battling for one of the men's two 3-meter springboard spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

Two-time Olympian Troy Dumais leads the pack of a dozen divers with a score of 1,038.30 points through Friday night's semifinals in the event. His score was aided by a 30-point head start because of his fourth-place finish at the 2008 World Cup.

Second is Chris Colwill (961.00) and third Jevon Tarantino (893.65), followed by Wilcock and his 883.20 score.

The finals will be contested today at the IUPUI Natatorium and will be broadcast locally on KSL Ch. 5 at 1:30 p.m.

Following Friday afternoon's preliminaries, Wilcock was in third ahead of Tarantino by 23 points. Highlighting his afternoon performance was the five 9.5 marks given his 2 1/2 reverse pike dive.

Only the winners of the four events at this weekend's Olympic Trials — men's and women's 3-meter springboard and men's and women's 10-meter platforms — initially make the U.S. Olympic team.

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The top six finishers at the Trials then are invited to a weeklong team selection camp in Tennessee next month, where a second diver in each event will be determined.

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Justin Wilcock is laid out above the water at Friday's U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. (Michael Conroy, Associated Press)
Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Justin Wilcock is laid out above the water at Friday's U.S. Olympic Diving Trials.