U.S. teen-aged diver injured at worlds
Davis hits face on diving board during 3-meter springboard

MONTREAL - American Chelsea Davis hit her face on the diving board during the 3-meter springboard preliminaries Friday at the World Swimming Championships.

Davis was attempting an inward 2½ somersault in the tuck position when her face struck the board. Blood poured out of her nose, stunning spectators, some of whom covered their faces.

Helpers jumped into the pool and pulled a crying Davis to the side. She was put on a floating stretcher and taken to the hospital, where her parents and boyfriend joined her.

“She’s fine,” U.S. diving team leader Bob Rydze said. “She’s moving all her limbs. She just needs a few stitches.”

Rydze later said Davis was cut on the bridge of her nose, but never lost consciousness.

Jashia Luna of Mexico was next on the board after Davis, and seeing the bloodied American upset her.

“After I saw her hit the board, I started shaking,” Luna said. “The judges asked me if I was OK, and I told them I was OK and I could do it. But then when I was on the board, I started shaking again.”


Luna’s fingers hit the board on her third dive, but she finished the preliminaries and X-rays taken later were negative.

Davis is entered in Sunday’s synchronized 3-meter springboard contest with Laura Wilkinson. Rydze said the U.S. coaches planned to meet later Friday to discuss whether Davis would be replaced and by whom.

Davis, a 17-year-old diver who trains in Columbus, Ohio, was competing in her first senior-level world championships. She was in 14th place at the time, which would have put her in position to advance to the semifinals later Friday.

The fourth round of competition resumed after a brief delay.

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