Lenzi Comes Back, Makes Diving Team

Defending Olympic springboard champion Mark Lenzi came from 10 points behind on his last dive Friday to earn a trip to the Atlanta Games. Scott Donie claimed the other 3-meter berth.

Lenzi entered the final in fourth place, and battled furiously to make up ground on Donie and second-place Dean Panaro. Donie finished first with 1202.28 points to Lenzi’s 1198.08. Panaro had 1187.16 points.

Diving ahead of Panaro and Donie, Lenzi had the highest degree of difficulty on his final dive, a reverse 3-1/2 somersault that earned five 9.5s and two 9.0s.

Donie and Panaro appeared to have the two Olympic berths locked up until Panaro performed badly on his third dive. He received marks ranging from 4.5 to 5.5 for the reverse 3-1/2 somersault, the dive Lenzi aced to keep Panaro off the team.

Panaro watched Lenzi’s final dive, then closed his eyes and turned away after seeing the high marks.

Yet he held his own under pressure, finishing with an inward 2-1/2 somersault that earned mostly 9.0s. But the low 3.0 degree of difficulty could not compete with the tougher final dives by Lenzi and Donie.

Donie faltered only slightly when Panaro took over first place on their third dives. But Donie regained the lead he had held since preliminaries with a backward 2-1/2 somersault on his fourth dive.

Lenzi, the local favorite from Bloomington, got the crowd roaring with a spectacular backward 2-1/2 somersault on his second dive. He earned four perfect 10.0s and three 9.5s to move from fourth to third.