KYIV, Ukraine – The FINA World Junior Diving Championships came to a close Sunday, with Maria Coburn (Round Rock, Texas) and Bridget O’Neil (Southlake, Texas) placing fifth in synchronized 3-meter. Lyle Yost (Shaker Heights, Ohio) and Jack Matthews (Powell, Ohio) took 15th and 16th in the group A platform competition.
Coburn and O’Neil wrapped up competition for Team USA with 247.41 points for fifth in a close synchronized 3-meter final. After scoring 51.03 points on an inward 2 ½ tuck and 56.70 points on a front 2 ½ with one twists, the American duo was in third place with one round to go. Less than three points separated third from seventh heading into the final round. The U.S. duo posted 52.08 points on a front 3 ½ pike, which put them fifth in the finals standings. China’s Ma Tong and Zhang Rui finished first with 265.50 points. The Russian pair of Uliana Kliueva and Vitaliia Korovela scored 255.00 points for silver, moving from fifth to second with 61.20 points on their final dive, a front 2 ½ with one twist. Japan’s Rin Kaneto and Mai Yasuda ended up second at 254.28.
In the boys’ group A platform competition, Yost scored 418.00 points for 15th with Matthews right behind at 416.70 for 16th.
Yost was in 28th place with three rounds to go and moved up in the standings with 63 points on a reverse 2 ½ tuck and 62.40 points on an inward 3 ½ tuck. He closed out his list with 52.50 points on a front 2 ½ with one twist.
Matthews’ also climbed in the standings after sitting 19th with three rounds to go. A score of 70.40 points on his back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists in the second-to-last round allowed him to move up in the rankings, but couldn’t quite maintain the momentum with he finished with just 46.50 points on a front double armstand with one twist.
The U.S. concluded the World Junior Diving Championships with four medals, including a bronze from Coburn in the group A 1-meter competition. Hailey Hernandez (Southlake, Texas) won silver medals on 1-meter and 3-meter in the girls’ B group, and Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Mo.) picked up the 1-meter silver in the boys’ B group.
