Team Ireland diver Clare Cryan has finished 31st in the 3M Springboard at the FINA Diving World Cup in Japan.
The Irish Senior Record Holder was on Monday the first of Ireland’s four divers to take to the boards at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, each aiming for Tokyo 2020 qualification.
Cryan achieved the fourth highest score she has ever posted in a FINA 3M Springboard competition with a total points tally of 242.90. The achievement earned her 31st position, but it was not enough on this occasion to advance to the semi-finals.
Damian Ball, Ireland’s National Head Coach for Diving, said: “Clare gave it everything today and can be proud of her efforts. A dropped second round dive made all the difference of progressing to the semi-finals.
“Although Clare showed a spirited and determined fight back, it was just not quite enough on this occasion.”
Ball added: “Clare is a terrific diver and I’m looking forward to seeing her bounce back to a top performance next week at the European Championships.”
Cryan will leave Tokyo with the team later this week, heading to Budapest to compete at those European Championships, which begin on May 10.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, on Tuesday morning it is the turn of Ciara McGing and Tanya Watson to dive for Olympic qualification on the 10M Platform.
McGing, now training with Ohio State University, set a new Irish Women’s 10M Platform record in February at the Big Ten College meet at Purdue University in Indiana.
The 19-year-old achieved a score of 307, bettering the 298.90 record set by Watson at the British Championships just over a year earlier.
McGing and Watson will now compete against each other, aiming for a top 18 finish and a place in the semi-finals, which would secure Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020.
If either diver does make the top 18 in the 10M Platform, they could become the first Irish female diver to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Oliver Dingley, who was in 2016 the first Irish diver in 68 years to qualify for an Olympic Games, will be the last of Ireland’s divers to bid for Tokyo 2020 qualification.
His 3M Springboard preliminaries take place in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Having finished 8th in the event at Rio 2016 – Ireland’s first Olympic finalist in diving – the 28-year-old will be hoping he can once again secure that crucial top 18 finish.
Details of how to watch the FINA Diving World Cup LIVE are available at: Diving World Cup 2021: Where to watch (fina.org)
