After a standout performance at this past weekend’s Australian Open diving championships, Indiana University freshman James Connor was selected to Australia’s 2015 World Championships team, competing July 25-August 2 in Kazan, Russia.
Connor will dive 3-meter, platform, synchro 3-meter and synchro platform at the World Championships.
“James continues to establish himself as the premier male diver for team Australia,” said Indiana head diving coach Drew Johansen. “James will be the fourth Hoosier in Kazan diving at the World Championships this summer. He is truly an all-around threat in every event he dives in. His experience diving for the Hoosiers this year as a freshman served him well in the four-day event that pushed him to his physical limits.”
“Absolutely not a bad weekend,” Connor told Diving Australia. “No complaints from me. This weekend has gone as gone as well as I could hope. Everything we have done in the lead up to this competition has helped this performance.”
Connor earned his spot on the squad by winning four titles over the weekend. In the platform synchro competition he teamed up with Domonic Bedggood for a score of 413.67. That was followed by the 3-meter springboard gold medal, tallying a score of 460.05 in the final.
In the platform competition Connor posted a score of 472.55 in the final for his third gold medal of the meet. Connor is the reigning Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up in the event.
Connor closed the competition by partnering with Grant Nel for the top spot in 3-meter synchro, posting a score of 436.02. That tops the silver-medal performance of the pair at last month’s FINA Grand Prix Canada Cup.
Connor becomes the fourth diver with Indiana University ties to earn a spot at the World Championships. Sophomore Michael Hixon has qualified for Team USA on the 1-meter, while freshman Jessica Parratto and graduate Amy Cozad have qualified in platform synchro.
Hixon, Parratto, Cozad and fellow IU alum Darian Schmidt will look to qualify individually on the 3-meter and platform at the USA Diving World Championship Trials, May 15-17 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington.
