Road to the London Olympics: national diving championships in Victoria this week

Sitting in the bleachers of the dive tank at Saanich Commonwealth Place, Riley McCormick looks up at the rest of the competition.

The springboards and platforms are packed with divers from across Canada taking turns in preparation for the Winter National diving championships underway until Sunday (Dec.18).

Some dives evoke claps ? though with divers hitting the water every five seconds it?s hard to know which one to watch.

?As big as this event is, you don?t want to peak yet. This is still just the stepping stone,? McCormick said.

?At the same time, you can?t take it too lightly.?

The goal this weekend is for McCormick to finish in the top two on the 10-metre platform, thereby qualifying to represent Canada at the Diving World Cup in London, England this February.

?That?s where you want to hit your best.?

Not only is the World Cup a test event for the London Olympics in July, competing there would put McCormick on track for his second appearance at the Olympic games, having finished 16th in Beijing 2008.

The 20-year-old is on leave from Arizona State University where he competed the past two seasons, finishing second in the NCAA on the 10m in his rookie year and winning the PAC 10 conference on the 10m in both years.

?The NCAA was pretty hectic coming out of high school. Practices were twice a day plus a full course load, and we competed almost every weekend.?

And when the NCAA season ends, the international season begins.

?It?s easy to burnout,? he said.

Which is why McCormick told his school he?d be taking this year off to campaign for the Olympics back when they recruited him from Claremont three years ago.

McCormick is among several senior members of Saanich?s Boardworks diving club competing this weekend, including Fraser McKean (Auburn University) and Shane Miskiel (Ohio State), as well as Rachel Kemp, last year?s 10m silver medalist at the summer nationals.

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