Louganis Wins on the Platform; U.S. Ties Soviets

Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis of the United States won the men’s 10-meter platform diving, and Zhanna Tsyryulnikova of the Soviet Union won the women’s 3-meter springboard event Sunday as the teams tied, 44-44, in a two-day meet at the Olympic Swimming and Diving Stadium on the USC campus.

Louganis, from Boca Raton, Fla., scored 682.95 total points on 10 dives. Soviet national champion Gennady Starodubtsey was second with 612.70, just 4.8 points ahead of Dan Watson of Ashland, Ky.

Louganis won the 3-meter springboard event Saturday.

In the women’s competition, Tsyryulnikova scored 526.70 points, edging Soviet national champion Marina Babkova, who had 524.50. Tsyryulnikova was the European champion in 1985. Babkova was the event’s youngest competitor at 16.

Kelly McCormick of Long Beach was third with 504.44 points.

The Soviet Union led, 23-21, after the first day.

It was the first dual meet between divers of the two nations since 1979. It was also the first appearance by the Soviet divers in the United States since the 1983 FINA championships.

The Soviet team will compete at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday.