Platform specialist Kelly McCormick cruised to her second Olympic berth Thursday night with a performance that would be solid enough to win a medal in Seoul.
She added a 578.22 total to Wednesday`s 528.90 for 1,107.12 points. McCormick`s mentor, Ohio State coach Vince Panzano, said a 578-her best total ever-is within medal range.
The second Olympic spot was decided by a fraction of a point, with Denver`s Wendy Lucero edging her Kimball Diving Club teammate Mary Fischbach, 1,030.98-1,030.17. That difference-81 hundredths of a point-is tantamount to a half-point on a single judge`s card.
”We both deserve to go,” Lucero said.
The difference came on their seventh dives, when each tried a reverse 2 1/2 tuck. Lucero drilled the dive, while Fischbach`s fingers ticked the board.
