Springboard

LONDON - There were, as expected, two divers from China on the medal podium for the men's 3-meter springboard ceremony. Just not in the usual spot at the Aquatics Centre. At the top. China's chance at a gold sweep of the diving events at the London Olympics ended when Ilya Zakharov of Russia nailed his final dive, scoring 104.50 points on it to win gold Tuesday night. An emotionally spent Qin Kai of China took the silver and defending Olympic champion He Chong claimed the bronze.

At the bar where a circus elephant and the Rat Pack partied - not at the same time - a couple clink martini glasses. Their faces glow in the late-afternoon light pouring through a porthole. Behind them in the otherwise cave-like room, trimmed year-round with strands of Christmas lights, a busboy moves across wood chips and peanut shells scattered on the pocked concrete floor. He places red napkins atop red-and-white-checked tablecloths grown dingy with wear as Frank Sinatra croons the 1966 hit "Summer Wind" on the jukebox.

LONDON - After the final dive, Christina Loukas smiled a perfunctory smile for the cameras and then, a few steps later along the pool deck, dropped her arms and buried her head into her coach's shoulder. On Sunday morning, Kenny Armstrong fortified his pupil with perspective: We've come a long way just to get here, he told Loukas. She'd gone from high school and college star to the Olympics to a mental wreck who couldn't manage the simplest dive to quitting the sport. And she returned to it, and it took her here.

When "Amour" received Academy Award nominations for foreign-language film and best picture, many noted that it was the first time a movie had pulled off that feat since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000. But director Michael Haneke's tale of love amid the decline of old age set a record perhaps even more impressive: Playing in just three U.S. theaters at the time of the Oscar nods, it had the lowest domestic gross of any movie in modern history nominated for best picture: just $368,000.

Hong Ping Li of the Irvine Divers set a meet record in the three-meter springboard Saturday to win the event at the Southern California Open and Regional Age-Group Olympics at the Mission Viejo International Diving Complex. Li, a silver medalist in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles behind Greg Louganis, scored 656.05 points. Scott Fosdick of the Mission Viejo Nadadores was second with 580.20. Other Nadadore finishers were J. D. McGregor, fourth (543.65); Jeff Simmons, seventh (465.

Megan Neyer edged defending champion Kim Fugett to win the gold medal in the women's one-meter springboard competition Wednesday, the first title of the 1987 U.S. Diving Outdoor Championships. Neyer, of Boca Raton, Fla., had a total of 438.84 points for her 10 dives, while Fugett, of Cincinnati, had 433.89. Mary Fischbach of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and the University of Michigan was third with 432.21. Neyer said: "I feel I could have been a little bit sharper. I think I just plugged along.

The man is tired. You can hear it across the long-distance telephone line, the conversation punctuated by frequent yawns. "A lot of sacrifices," he says. "I've been doing this for a long time. " Getting up early each morning to stop by the gym before work. Then hitting the pool each afternoon to practice. At 32, Troy Dumais rarely takes a vacation from diving. "I don't have that luxury," he says. "When I take a break for a week, it takes me three weeks to get back to where I was. " But when you ask him about quitting, about getting on with his life, the pace of the conversation quickens a beat.

Pat Evans of the University of Cincinnati led the men's one-meter springboard finals in Boca Raton, Fla., when a severe thunderstorm halted the event at the U.S. Diving Championships.

Suzie Dorrough of the Los Angeles Diving Team of Northridge won her second bronze medal at the U.S. Junior Olympic Diving Championships at Heritage Park Pool in Irvine on Friday. Dorrough, from Woodland Hills, scored 176.40 points in the platform event of the 13-and-under age division. Sherry Wigginton of the Longhorn Diving Club won the event with an eight-dive total of 192.60. Joy Burkholder of the Mission Viejo Nadadores, the gold medalist Thursday in the one-meter springboard, scored 189.

Mark Lenzi of Indiana University and Gao Min of China won the men's and women's one-meter springboard events, respectively, at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in a diving meet involving the United States, China and the Soviet Union. Lenzi, the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. champion, easily beat China's two Olympic springboard medalists, Tan Liangde and Li Deliang. Lenzi scored 610.85 points, Liangde 562.10 and Deliang 556.05. Liangde finished second to the now-retired Greg Louganis in each of the last two Olympics.

LONDON — There were two divers from China on the medal podium for the men's three-meter springboard ceremony. Just not in the usual spot at the Aquatics Centre. China's chance at a gold sweep of the diving events at the London Olympics ended when Ilya Zakharov of Russia nailed his final dive, scoring 104.50 points on it to win gold Tuesday night. PHOTOS: London Olympics, Day 11 An emotionally spent Qin Kai of China took the silver and defending Olympic champion He Chong claimed the bronze.

LONDON - There were, as expected, two divers from China on the medal podium for the men's 3-meter springboard ceremony. Just not in the usual spot at the Aquatics Centre. At the top. China's chance at a gold sweep of the diving events at the London Olympics ended when Ilya Zakharov of Russia nailed his final dive, scoring 104.50 points on it to win gold Tuesday night. An emotionally spent Qin Kai of China took the silver and defending Olympic champion He Chong claimed the bronze.

LONDON - After the final dive, Christina Loukas smiled a perfunctory smile for the cameras and then, a few steps later along the pool deck, dropped her arms and buried her head into her coach's shoulder. On Sunday morning, Kenny Armstrong fortified his pupil with perspective: We've come a long way just to get here, he told Loukas. She'd gone from high school and college star to the Olympics to a mental wreck who couldn't manage the simplest dive to quitting the sport. And she returned to it, and it took her here.

LONDON — It was probably the best way for Troy Dumais to handle the situation. Coming into his fourth Olympics, still looking for his first medal, the veteran diver decided not to think about winning or losing or even glancing at the scoreboard. "It was about having fun," he said. "About enjoying the moment. " PHOTOS: London Olympics, Day 5 This happy-go-lucky attitude translated into a relaxed, confident performance Wednesday afternoon, Dumais teaming with partner Kristian Ipsen to win a bronze medal in synchronized three-meter springboard diving at the London Olympics.

ST. LOUIS -- A day after he had finished an emphatic third at the U.S. gymnastics nationals and moved himself into prime position to make his first Olympic team at the age of 19, Sam Mikulak, a sophomore at Michigan and Corona del Mar homie as he calls himself, was stunned Sunday to see he had 125 new friend requests on Facebook. "That just doesn't happen in men's gymnastics," Mikulak said. "I felt kind of popular, I feel real pleased. " John Orozco, a 19-year-old from the Bronx, won his first national title with fist-pumping, muscle-heavy gymnastics, and the demonstrative 20-year-old Danell Leyva, whose family came to Florida from Cuba, finished second.

The man is tired. You can hear it across the long-distance telephone line, the conversation punctuated by frequent yawns. "A lot of sacrifices," he says. "I've been doing this for a long time. " Getting up early each morning to stop by the gym before work. Then hitting the pool each afternoon to practice. At 32, Troy Dumais rarely takes a vacation from diving. "I don't have that luxury," he says. "When I take a break for a week, it takes me three weeks to get back to where I was. " But when you ask him about quitting, about getting on with his life, the pace of the conversation quickens a beat.

The Mission Viejo Nadadores, led by Jim Gray and Michele Mitchell, took a slim, 34-point lead in the first day of competition in their two-day dual meet with the Mexican national diving team at Marguerite Recreation Center. Gray's score of 621.30 in the 3-meter springboard event edged Jesus Mena, who had 616 points. Ron Meyer of the Nadadores was third with 593.25 points, followed by Mexican Olympian Jorge Mondragon, who finished with 570.70 points.

David Warady of Huntington Beach won Friday's stage of the Runner's World Trans America Footrace, completing the 52.3 miles from Beaver to Monroe, Utah, in 9 hours 46 minutes 54 seconds. In winning his fifth stage, Warady increased his overall lead over Helmut Schieke of Germany to 4:46:59. Schieke was fourth in the stage in 11:44:31. The 64-day, 3,000-mile race continues today with a 28.5-mile stage from Monroe to Salina, Utah.

Projected to compete for the Pacific Division and Western Conference lead, the Kings and Ducks instead are struggling for stability as they prepare for their first encounters this season, a home-and-home series that begins Wednesday at Staples Center. The Kings, still seeking production from their bottom six forwards, have won three of their last 10 games. Their efforts have been more energetic lately but they're still erratic. The Ducks, starved for scoring from anyone, have won one of their last eight games and two of their last 12. Defending NHL goal-scoring champion and most valuable player Corey Perry has 11 points but 35 penalty minutes in 17 games.

Last year, while she was recovering from a second surgery on her right foot, Brittany Viola considered that her diving career might be over. And it's not as if she has no plans for the rest of her life. The 24-year-old, who is the daughter of former major league pitcher Frank Viola, has her degree from University of Miami. Her major was electronic media and sports administration. "I want to do something in sports," Viola said Saturday at the Spieker Athletics Center at UCLA. But for the near future anyway, that "something in sports" is still going to be diving.