2004 Olympics: Swimming and Diving

Texan says he is not done diving, will train for 2008 Olympics

08:51 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 24, 2004

By RACHEL COHEN / The Dallas Morning News

ATHENS, Greece – Troy Dumais couldn't carry the momentum of a strong first dive through the final of the men's 3-meter springboard Tuesday.

The former Texas diver from The Woodlands, in fourth place after one round, finished sixth in his second Olympics. He and brother Justin took sixth in the 3-meter synchronized event Aug. 16.

Peng Bo of China earned five perfect 10s on his second dive en route to a dominant performance. No competitor finished within 31 points of him.

Canada's Alexandre Despatie, who had a tough third dive to drop from second to third, turned in an impressive final attempt to nab silver. Russia's Dmitri Sautin, 30, earned bronze for his seventh Olympic medal.

Dumais entered the final in sixth place, 14.82 points out of third. His first dive, a forward 31/2 somersault, earned mostly scores of 9.0. That inched him within 13.8 points of the bronze position.

But his second dive didn't receive any scores higher than 7.5, starting a slide down the standings. Dumais slipped to fifth, then sixth, then seventh. He bounced back with solid dives on his final two attempts.

Dumais said he had no regrets about increasing the degree of difficulty on his fourth dive between the prelims and final, going from 21/2 to 31/2 somersaults on the inward dive.

"It's little things here and there," Dumais said of the microscopic margin for error at the Olympics.

Dumais, 24, said he plans to finish his degree at UT, then train for the 2008 Olympics.

"My job is not done," he said. "My goal is to win a medal at the Olympics."

Fernando Platas of Mexico, the 2000 silver medalist, was fifth.

Peng had endured a shocking finish to the 3-meter synchronized event, going from first to last after a missed final dive.

"I didn't actually expect I would have it," Peng said of his gold. "It seems like a dream come true. I didn't expect I could do so well tonight."

Sautin, who already held the record for Olympic diving medals, said there's a good chance this is his last Olympics. He came back from illness and injury this year to earn yet another medal.

"My body has suffered a lot of scars and a lot of operations," he said. "My bones are not what they used to be. My health is not what it used to be. Certainly not what it was eight years ago."

E-mail rcohen@dallasnews.com