KIMIKO
HIRAI SOLDATI
OFFICIAL SITE
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OFFICIAL SITE |
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Pakhalina leads springboard prelims; American Soldati eliminated (08-25) 11:54 PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Kimiko Soldati felt a twinge in her right shoulder every time she bounced on the board. The pain only got worse as her body sliced through the water. But she didn't want anyone to know how bad she was hurting. Not after what she went through just to make it to Athens. Soldati battled countless injuries to finally qualify for her first Olympics at age 30, but she didn't hang around long. The American was eliminated Wednesday in the preliminaries of 3-meter springboard diving. Yulia Pakhalina of Russia had the top score, beating out Canada's Blythe Hartley and China's Guo Jingjing. Soldati wasn't even close, falling far behind after a poor first dive and winding up in 21st place. Only the top 18 advanced to Thursday's semifinals. Between dives, Soldati retreated to a warmup area under the stands to grasp her ailing shoulder. "It was tough. On takeoff and impact, it hurt," Soldati said. "I never gave up throughout the competition. I am proud of that." The other American did get through. Rachelle Kunkel, who works as a maternity ward nurse when she's not competing, advanced to the semifinals with a 12th-place showing. Soldati started her athletic career as a gymnast, then switched to competitive diving about a dozen years ago. No matter what sport she did, injuries were a constant hindrance. Four shoulder operations. Two knee surgeries. Perpetual pain. After Soldati won springboard at the U.S. trials in June, her right shoulder began acting up again. Several cortisone shots failed to relieve the pain. By the time she got to Athens, Soldati couldn't even lift her right arm to wash her hair. She had to miss a week of crucial training time. "It wasn't what I pictured it or imagined it would be," Soldati said of her first Olympics. "It is disappointing, but given the circumstances and the lack of training that I have been able to do because of my shoulder, I went out and gave it my all." With only two events left, the Americans have yet to win a diving medal. Once the dominant power in the sport, they're trying to avoid their first medal shutout since the 1912 Stockholm Games. Pakhalina easily led the preliminaries with 347.04 points. Hartley was next with 321.33, while Guo claimed the third spot at 319.71. Another Russian, four-time Olympian Vera Ilyina, was fourth with 311.97. The 26-year-old Pakhalina became one of the top springboard divers in the world after failing to qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Games. She won the event at the 1998 world championships and teamed with Ilyina to win gold in synchronized springboard at Sydney four years ago. "I am in very good shape and I feel very well," Pakhalina said. "I do not care about the gold. For me, the most important thing is to have good dives, and after that we will see. The competition is tough." The Chinese have won women's springboards at the last four Olympics. Gao Min went back-to-back in 1988 and 1992, then Fu Mingxia duplicated the feat in Atlanta and Sydney. Guo is a three-time Olympian and solid candidate to keep the streak alive. She won silver behind Fu at the 2000 Games and is the reigning world champion on the 3-meter board. Four countries dominated the top eight in the preliminaries. Australians Loudy Tourky (fifth) and Irina Lashko (eighth) were solidly in contention, China's Wu Minxia claimed the sixth spot, and Canada's other diver, Emilie Heymans, had the seventh-best score. Guo and Wu already teamed up in Athens to win the gold in synchronized springboard. Pakhalina and Ilyina claimed the silver, while Lashko paired with Chantelle Newbery to take the bronze. The Americans haven't won the springboard since Jennifer Chandler's victory at Montreal in 1976. It doesn't appear that drought will end in Athens. Kunkel managed to advance but is considered a long shot for a medal, having finished 21st on springboard at last year's world championships. She'll be hard-pressed just to make the final; only the top 12 keep going after the semis. The experience of working in a maternity ward should help her cope with the pressure. "It's pretty similar as far as stress goes -- especially when babies and moms are in trouble," said Kunkel, of West Valley City, Utah. "You have to be the one who's in control and calm because they rely on you for guidance." Soldati, a native of Colorado who now lives in Magnolia, Texas, wants to have a baby with her husband, Adam, but didn't rule out a return in 2008. "I'm an emotional mess. I'm not going to make any decisions right now," she said. "I don't think I can end like this." |
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