NCAA DIVISION II SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Meter Maid : Chen Advances Diving Career With Little Degree of Difficulty

Xiao Xia Chen on a diving board is like handing Gene Kelly an umbrella and kicking him out in the rain.

Chen, whose first name is pronounced Shou Sha, is as graceful as they come when vaulting into the air and doing what resembles a short aerobic dance routine before darting into the water.

She didn’t win the 1-meter diving competition Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA Division II swimming and diving championships at the Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach, but with her fourth-place finish she served notice that she may win soon. Maybe as soon as today.

Chen is in her first year on the 1-meter board, but she probably will move up a place or two today in the 3-meter event.

She is familiar with diving off a 3-meter board, having learned to do so back home in China. If only there was competition in platform diving. Then she would really be set.

Platform diving is Chen’s specialty and there is little doubt anyone at these championships could come close to her in the event.

Chen, competing for China, finished fourth in 10-meter platform diving at the 1984 Olympics.

One and 3-meter board diving are not at all similar to platform diving. In the 1- and 3-meter, good spring off the board is imperative. Diving from the 10-meter platform is like falling off the roof of a three-story building.

“In 1- and 3-meter, you need speed and power,” CSUN diving Coach Van Austin said. “In platform, you need control and finesse. They’re about as different as you can get.”

All of which seems to make no difference whatsoever to Chen, whose name looks a typographical error and sounds like a breed of dog. She says learning a new diving event is a piece of cake--and make it with chocolate icing please--compared to dealing with college classes.

“Diving is fun, but my classes are very hard for me,” Chen said during a break between sessions. “Sometimes I don’t understand what the teacher is saying and that worries me.”

Chen came to the United States in May, 1986, and started taking English as a second-language course last summer. She originally wanted to attend UCLA but would have been ineligible to compete for the Bruins because of Division I age restrictions.

Chen, 24, decided to attend college in the United States to learn about sports psychology and train to become a coach. She lives with an American family in Northridge and says she enjoys learning how to cook American food. Chen also has developed a sweet tooth.

“I love to eat chocolate and get fat,” she said with all the exuberance of a young child. “My cousin says if I win, I get a big chocolate bar.”

At that pace, Austin says he could have one fat and happy multiple champion in a few more years.

“She could very well end up the best I’ve ever had at Northridge,” Austin said. “At this point, she isn’t because of the limits she’s had put on her training time because of school. As she adjusts, she’ll get better and better.”