ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996 TAG: 9608050072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ATLANTA
SOURCE: Associated Press
DMITRY SAUTIN BREAKS a pattern that had seen the Chinese win all the other diving events.
A disappointing Olympic diving meet for the United States came to an end Friday night, with the U.S. shut out of the men's 10-meter platform for the first time since 1912.
With the exception of 1980, when the United States didn't take part, the U.S. had taken at least one medal on the men's platform in each of the last 16 Olympics.
It wasn't a pretty performance, but it was in keeping with the rest of the meet, which yielded the United States just two bronze medals - to Mary Ellen Clark in the women's platform and Mark Lenzi in the men's 3-meter springboard.
The U.S. team was caught between two extremes in Atlanta, bringing a group of divers either too young to compete effectively or too old. The brightest note from the competition might be the fourth-place finish of 18-year-old Becky Ruehl on platform.
Dmitry Sautin of Russia was the gold medalist Friday night, easily holding off challenges from Jan Hempel of Germany, the silver medalist, and Xiao Hailiang and Tian Liang of China. Xiao won the bronze.
American divers David Pichler and Patrick Jeffrey finished sixth and ninth, respectively. Jeffrey, 31, a 1988 Olympian who finished 12th in Seoul, was happy to have made a comeback and reached the Games again. Pichler, 27, a 1995 national champion, has hopes of returning to the Olympics.
Sautin, 22, the springboard bronze medalist in Barcelona in 1992 but a disappointing fifth in that event here, took the lead with the first dive of the finals, a forward 3 1/2-somersault, and held it. He built a 30-point lead with three dives to go and never faltered. He finished with a flair, a back 1 1/2-somersault with 3 1/2 twists that earned him high scores.
LENGTH: Short : 44 linesby CNB