USA Olympic Trials storylines to watch: Men’s 3M Synchro
Tier 1: Greg Duncan and Tyler Downs. Greg and Tyler have been representing the USA at countless international meets. Tyler is an ultra-beautiful diver and when he pairs a good hurdle with his incredible rip it’s a sight to see. Greg is a tremendous diver that always seems to elevate for the synchro event. This team wins on tidiness and precision. Team chemistry might play a role as they have been synchro partners for years. As I’m writing this, I’m also seeing huge upgrades to their list via divemeets.com. I was about to say they don’t have the hardest dives but they execute so well. As I look at their list now keep an eye on 407C which has been hit or miss in the past, as well as a new 109C. I have never seen the pair compete 109C which sparks my intrigue immensely. Lists can change but for now the have the classic vols of 201B and 301B. Optionals are 5154B, 407C, 5337D, and 109C. If they do compete this list I am curious to see how the bigger dives go! If they keep the clean rips they have a great chance to come out on top. Update as of 6-12-24 the list has been changed to 107B instead of 109C.
Andrew Capobianco and Quinn Henninger. Similar to the women’s 3m synchro competition these teams to me are 1A and 1B. I would regard Andrew as the top 3m diver and Quinn is nipping at his heals individually with a massive set of dives. Together as a team they have all the dives needed to take home an Olympic medal but will the execution be there? They match Duncan and Downs for vols and the IU pair has optionals of 5154B, 407C, 5156B, and 109C. The triple twister is the difference maker in the list comparison. Degree of Difficulty of 3.5 (5337D Ducan/Downs) vs 3.9 (5156B Capobianco/Henninger). Each of these gentlemen can hit and rip all of these dives, but with big dives come some risks. As a fan of diving, I love the chance to hit a huge dive. Tough to call which team will emerge but this has potential to be one of the best contests of the Trials for the Olympic spot. Should Andrew and Quinn emerge I would be excited for team USA’s chances at the Olympics.
Tier 2: Jack Ryan and Grayson Campbell. You can’t talk springboard diving without Jack Ryan from Stanford. The man has been at the top of leader boards wherever he competes and has represented team USA at international meets frequently. Grayson Campbell coming out of retirement diving with Mission Viejo creates a great story as well. I’ll dig into that more in the 3m individual conversation. This team is very new. Individually both divers are powerful and fun to watch. They mix up their list a bit from my Tier 1 teams as well. 401B and 301B for Vols. 107B, 205B, 5154B, 5337D for optionals. To me, not a surprise seeing this list. Both men are showing off their strengths. 205B and excellent twisters is the name of their game. I enjoy both of these gentlemen and will be cheering hard for them. I would be a little surprised to see them emerge over my tier 1 teams but it would make the event even more exciting as a fan to have a 3rd team in the mix.
Maxwell Miller and Luke Sitz. A Young team with some huge promise. Maxwell dives for Purdue and Luke is heading to SMU in the fall. Luke has been on the rise recently so I’m curious to see how they compete. With a 109C in the 4th round they have more DD than Ryan/Campbell so they certainly can be in the mix. Both divers are a joy to watch, synchro should be no different.
Zachary and Jacob Welsh. Another all Mission Viejo team and another team that’s ready to compete. They don’t quite have the highest DD on the list but make no mistake these men are the future. They are heading separate ways for school next year (Zach to Purdue, Jacob to Texas) so it will be fun to follow them as they progress. In 4 years time the Welsh brothers will be a team at the foreground of the LA28 conversation.
Looking ahead to the Olympics I think Andrew Capobianco and Quinn Henninger have the best chance to compete for a medal. I also think they are a bit of a gamble. The Men’s 3m is so incredibly competitive that I think we need to swing big and hope for hit dives. On the flip side if Duncan/Downs have those big dives ready for the highest level they would represent the USA very well! It’s going to be fun to see which team emerges. China will likely come out on top in Paris. Mexico, and Great Britain have incredibly strong teams so it’ll take a lot for team USA to reach the podium.
Written and submitted by Aaron Rooney