U.S. Diving Championships : Louganis Claims a Dramatic Win

Greg Louganis shook off the shock of hitting the board with his hand on his next-to-last dive Friday to score the second highest one-dive total in history on his finale and win the 3-meter springboard title at the Phillips 66/U.S. Diving Championships.

Louganis finished with 683.70 points, while Kent Ferguson of Boca Raton was second with 656.46.

Megan Neyer, a teammate of Louganis’ on the Mission Bay Makos of Boca Raton, FLa., won the women’s 3-meter event for her 12th national springboard title.

Neyer scored 547.23 points to top Mission Bay teammate Michele Mitchell, who had 523.95.

Louganis earned 98.70 points on his 11th and final dive, a reverse 3 1/2 somersault tuck, to win his 40th overall national title and his second this week. He won the 1-meter springboard event Wednesday.

The only higher score ever recorded was the 99.00 Louganis got for a reverse 1 1/2 somersault with 3 1/2 twists. That’s the dive he was attempting when he hit the board with his right hand.

“I was having trouble getting out over the board,” Louganis said, holding an ice pack to his thumb. “My takeoff was too straight up, and I didn’t give myself enough room to complete the dive.”