KYIV, Ukraine – Team USA placed ninth in the mixed team event as competition kicked off at the FINA World Junior Diving Championships on Sunday.

The U.S. team of Maria Coburn (Round Rock, Texas), Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Mo.), Hailey Hernandez (Southlake, Texas), and Max Weinrich (Brookeville, Md.) combined to score 275.30 points in the five-dive competition.

Great Britain claimed gold with 318.70 points, while China scored 307.50 points for silver. Australia took third with 304.50 points.  

In the mixed team event, two to four divers representing both genders and both A (16-18) and B (14-15) age groups comprise a team. Each team shall perform five dives. One individual dive must be performed by a girl or boy on 1-meter, 3-meter and platform, and both age groups must be represented in the individual dives. Additionally, two mixed synchronized dives are performed – a twisting dive on 1-meter and either a back or reverse dive on 3-meter.

Downs led the U.S. with 67.50 points on a reverse 2 ½ tuck on 1-meter, and he and Coburn earned 58.50 on their synchronized reverse 1 ½ with 1 ½ twists on 1-meter. Coburn also did a front 2 ½ with one twist on 3-meter for 46.50 points.

Hernandez and Weinrich performed a synchronized back 2 ½ tuck on 3-meter for 53.20 points, and Weinrich scored 49.60 points on his inward 3 ½ tuck from 10-meter.