Duke diving coach Johansen tabbed to coach U.S. Olympic team

Olympics

Duke diving coach Johansen tabbed to coach U.S. Olympic team

Jul 17, 2012

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Durham, N.C. — Duke diving coach Drew Johansen has been named head coach of the United States Diving team that will be competing at the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

"Any time you get to wear USA on your back, it invokes all kinds of new emotions - patriotic as well as being recognized as one of the best athletes in the land," Johansen said. "The Olympic dream brings us all to the sport in one way or another. I'm looking forward to it."

Johansen has been a U.S. National Team coach for seven years, and previously served as head coach of USA Diving's 2011 World Championship squad in Shanghai. Under his tutelage, Duke's Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory have established themselves among the elite divers in the country and have also achieved success on the international stage, with both qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. McCrory is set to vie for medals in the men's individual and synchronized 10-meter platform events in London, while Johnston will pair with Kelci Bryant in the women's synchronized 3-meter competition.

"One of my philosophies as a coach is to follow the philosophy of Olympism, which is in the charter for the International Olympic committee," Johansen said. "By definition, it's the blending of sport with culture and education. And that really defines Duke in big way - the blending of sport with culture and education. So one of the reasons I came to Duke was that Duke's mission and the Olympic mission are very similar."

Johansen will be assisted in London by Stanford diving coach Rick Schavone, as well as six other additional and personal coaches.

The women's 3-meter synchronized competition at the 2012 Olympic Games will be contested as a straight final with five rounds of dives on Sunday, July 29, while the men's 10-meter synchronized event - also a straight final with six rounds of diving - is slated for Monday, July 30. The men's individual 10-meter platform competition will begin with a preliminary round on Friday, Aug. 10, followed by the semifinals and finals on Saturday, Aug. 11. All diving events will be held at the London Aquatics Centre.