David Boudia

David Alasdair Boudia /boʊˈdaɪə/ (born April 24, 1989)^[1] is an American diver. He won the gold medal in the 10 metre platform diving competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Early life

Boudia was born on April 24, 1989, to Jim and Sheilagh Boudia in Abilene, Texas.^[2][3] He graduated from Noblesville High School in 2008, and now lives in West Lafayette, Indiana, and attends Purdue University.^[4]

He started diving in 2000, and has been a member of the U.S. National Diving Team since 2005. Boudia has stated that a dive from the great height of an Olympic 10-meter platform once 'petrified' him.^[5]

Diving career

Boudia was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the 10-meter platform and in the synchronized 10-meter platform event with former synchro partner Thomas Finchum. Boudia and Finchum were 2009 World Championship (Rome) Silver Medalists, and 2007 World Championship (Melbourne) Bronze Medalists. His current synchro partner is Nick McCrory. They are the 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalists.

He is the winner of the Big 10 Male Tower Diving event at the Big Ten Tournament, held in 2010 at Ohio State. He is the first American to break 600 points in six dives.

2012 Summer Olympic Games

In his first event at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Boudia and his partner, Nicholas McCrory, won the bronze in the synchronized 10 metre platform with a total score of 463.47, finishing behind China (486.78) and Mexico (468.90).^[6] It was the first Olympic medal for the United States in men's diving since the 1996 games in Atlanta. The United States had not made the podium in diving at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

In his second event, the 10 metre platform, Boudia barely advanced from the prelims placing eighteenth but then went on to finish third in the semi-finals to advance to the finals. In the sixth and last round, Boudia won gold with a total score of 568.65, finishing ahead of world champion Qiu Bo (566.85) and hometown favourite Tom Daley (556.95).^[7] It was the first Olympic gold for the United States in diving since the 2000 Summer Olympics, when Laura Wilkinson won the gold in the women's 10-meter platform competition; the first Olympic gold in the 10-meter platform competition by an American male diver since Greg Louganis achieved that feat at the 1988 Summer Olympics (also taking the 3-meter springboard title); and the first Olympic diving gold for an American man since Mark Lenzi's victory in the 3-meter springboard competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Olympic Games

• 1st 10m Platform 2012 London, GBR 1538.95
• 5th Synchronised 10m Platform 2008 Beijing, CHN 440.64
• 10th 10m Platform 2008 Beijing, CHN 441.45

World Championships

• 2nd 10m Platform 2011 Shanghai, CHN 544.25
• 2nd Synchronised 10m Platform 2009 Rome, ITA 456.94
• 3rd Synchronised 10m Platform 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 463.56
• 5th Synchronised 10m Platform 2011 Shanghai, CHN 420.69
• 6th 10m Platform 2009 Rome, ITA 491.80

World Series

• 1st Synchronised 10m Platform 2012 Tijuana, MEX 453.57
• 2nd 10m Platform 2012 Tijuana, MEX 543.25
• 2nd Synchronised 10m Platform 2012 Moscow, RUS 448.32
• 2nd Synchronised 10m Platform 2011 Guanajuato, MEX 437.10
• 2nd 10m Platform 2010 Veracruz, MEX 528.00
• 3rd 10m Platform 2012 Moscow, RUS 518.40
• 3rd 10m Platform 2012 Dubai, UAE 521.60
• 3rd 10m Platform 2011 Sheffield, GBR 534.55
• 3rd Synchronised 10m Platform 2009 Mexico City, MEX 421.08

World Cup

• 1st Team Event 2010 Changzhou, CHN 455.35
• 4th 10m Platform 2012 London, GBR 501.10
• 4th Synchronised 10m Platform 2012 London, GBR 444.93
• 4th Synchronised 10m Platform 2010 Changzhou, CHN 448.89

Grand Prix

• 1st Synchronised 10m Platform 2010 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 461.19
• 1st Synchronised 10m Platform 2009 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 457.26
• 3rd Synchronised 10m Platform 2011 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 438.51

Television

In November 2012, Boudia agreed to join Steve Foley as a judge on Splash.^[8] This reality show premiered on ABC on March 19, 2013.^[9]

Personal life

Boudia became a Christian in 2010 through the influence of his college diving coach Adam Soldati.^[10] He openly referenced his religious beliefs in several interviews before, during and after the 2012 Olympics.^[11] Boudia also recently married Sonnie Brand, whom he met while studying at Purdue University.^[12]

References

1. ↑ "David Boudia". Biographies. USA Diving. Retrieved July 27, 2012. 
2. ↑ "David Boudia". USA Diving. Retrieved August 11, 2012. 
3. ↑ Crawford, Bryan (26 July 2012). "USA Diving: David Boudia Has A Great Chance To Medal In London". SB Nation. Retrieved July 27, 2012. 
4. ↑ "Men's Swimming and Diving". Purdue University. Retrieved August 6, 2012. 
5. ↑ "2012 London Games: David Boudia dives into U.S. Olympic history". Washington Post. Retrieved August 12, 2012. 
6. ↑ Another medal for Team USA as Boudia and McCrory win bronze, USADiving.org, July 30, 2012
7. ↑
8. ↑ Goldberg, Leslie (November 29, 2012). "Olympian David Boudia to Judge ABC's Celebrity Diving Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
9. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (January 9, 2013). "Olympic divers mix with celebs on reality TV shows". USA Today.
10. ↑ David Boudia (2012-09-17). "David Boudia's Testimony: "More Desirable than Gold". faithlafayette.org. Retrieved 2012-09-20. 
11. ↑ Chad Bonham (2012-07-19). "A conversation with U.S. Olympic gold medalist diver David Boudia – Inspiring Athletes". Blog.beliefnet.com. Retrieved 2012-08-22. 
12. ↑ "David Boudia". 

• "diving.about.com biography". Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
• David Boudia at the United States Olympic Committee

External links

• "Report on Olympic Diving trials". Chicago Tribune. 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
• "David Boudia Profile". divemeets.com. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
• "Q & A with David Boudia". Noblesville Daily Times. 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2008-07-09.