Diving Preview

A mix of veterans and newcomers make up the 11-member roster to represent USA Diving at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Three members of the squad competed at the Olympic Games five years ago in Rio, and many more have competed in recent years at world championships and other international competitions.

The U.S. missed just one out of a maximum of 12 qualification spots (two in each individual event and one in each synchronized event). All 11 quotas were earned based off the performances by American athletes at the 2019 world championships and at the FINA World Cup in May 2021. Athletes then competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Diving in June to fill those spots. Three of the 11 athletes will compete in two events.

The men’s platform continues to be a strong event for the U.S., with Americans having won medals at the last two Olympic Games. But not returning is the man who won those medals, David Boudia. Instead Brandon Loschiavo and Jordan Windle will be the first-time Olympians on platform. On the women’s side, Delaney Schnell and Olympian Katrina Young have the individual platform sports for Tokyo, while Schnell will team up with Olympian Jessica Parratto in synchro.

The men’s springboard returns one Olympian to the synchronized event, silver medalist Michael Hixon, who has competed in springboard for the U.S. at every major world competition dating back to 2015. Andrew Capobianco joins Hixon in synchro and also earned an individual berth as well. Tyler Downs has the other individual spot.

At the three major world competitions since the Olympic Games Rio 2016, no U.S. woman has made all three teams in the same event. Krysta Palmer is one of two to make all three teams, earning two 3-meter individual berths and one synchro berth. Palmer will do both in Tokyo, partnered with Alison Gibson in synchro. Hailey Hernandez has the other individual spot.

Updated on June 18, 2021. For more information, contact the sport press officer here.

• The U.S. women are coming off one of their most successful world championships in platform events, with Delaney Schnell winning bronze individually on 10-meter for Team USA’s first medal in that event in 14 years, and Murphy Bromberg and Olympian Katrina Young winning bronze in synchronized 10-meter, the first U.S. medal in that event in 10 years. The U.S. has never won a women’s synchronized platform medal at the Games, and hasn’t medaled in platform since 2000. 

• Team USA will look to regain its place atop the world diving podium. The U.S. was once the dominant nation in diving and still holds a commanding lead on the all-time medal table. But since the 1980s, China has emerged as a world diving power and now ranks second behind the U.S.

• Tyler Downs will be the youngest U.S. diver in Tokyo, turning 18 on July 19. Downs defeated his personal idol in David Boudia to win at the Olympic trials, going from fourth to first place in the final to unseat the legend. Downs has one silver medal from the 2018 world junior championships and is a six-time junior national champ.

• 2016 Olympic silver medalist Michael Hixon is back with a new synchronized diving partner in Andrew Capobianco after his Rio 2016 teammate, Sam Dorman, retired. Hixon and Capobianco won bronze in their first international competition together at a FINA World Series meet in Montreal in 2019. Hixon, who will turn 27 on July 16, was an NCAA champion for Texas in the 1-meter and 3-meter. 

• Delaney Schnell won bronze on 10-meter at the 2019 world championships to become the first U.S. woman to win an individual 10-meter medal at a world championships since Laura Wilkinson won the 2005 world title. The 22-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, competed at the 2020 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

• Katrina Young is back for her second straight Olympic Games, securing her spot on the 10-meter platform with a second-place finish at trials. Young, 29, finished in 13th place in Rio, narrowly missing out on making the finals. She has one world championship bronze medal from 2019 and has won three national championships.
• July 25, 2021: Olympic competition begins with women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard
• July 26, 2021: Men’s synchronized 10-meter platform
• July 27, 2021: Women’s synchronized 10-meter platform
• July 30-August 1, 2021: Women’s 3-meter springboard 
• August 2-3, 2021: Men’s 3-meter springboard
• August 4-5, 2021: Women’s 10-meter platform
• August 6-7, 2021: Men’s 10-meter platform