Pakhalina Wins Bronze Medal in Diving at Olympic Games
8/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Aug. 26, 2004
ATHENS, Greece - Former University of Houston diver Yulia Pakhalina captured the Bronze Medal on the 3-meter individual springboard Thursday during the 2004 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Athens, Greece. Pakhalina finished the finals with 610.62 points to stand 22.53 points behind Gold Medal winner Guo Jingjing of China. China's Wu Minxia received the Silver Medal after tallying 612.00 points. Current UH administrative assistant Vera Ilyina finished in fourth place with 589.11 points. Pakhalina was a close challenger and was never out of third place following a complete round. The Penza, Russia, native moved into second place for the second time on her fourth of five dives - a forward 3 1/2 somersault - after receiving 74.40 points from the seven judges. Minxia moved into second place on her final dive - a reverse 2 1/2 somersault - with 82.80 points. Pakhalina tried to overtake the Chinese diver on her final dive - a forward 2 1/2 somersault with a twist - but her mark of 80.10 points fell just 1.38 points short of Minxia's total. "I am quite satisfied," Pakhalina said at a press conference following the competition. "Deep inside, I am happy with the bronze. Were I to get the silver, I would always think to myself `why not the gold.'" Jingjing took control of the competition early and never let up. She recorded 74.70 points on her opening dive and was never out of the overall lead after each round. Pakhalina's medal was her second of the 2004 Games. Earlier this month, she teamed with Ilyina to win the Silver Medal in synchronized diving. The Russian duo won the Gold Medal in that event at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. It was the third medal of Pakhalina's Olympic career and gave her a complete sweep. "The result makes me happy," Pakhalina said. "Now I have all the Olympic Games medals." Both Russian divers improved on their previous Olympic performances. Pakhalina finished in fourth place, while Ilyina placed sixth at the 2000 Games. Thursday marked the end of the Russians' competitive stay at the Olympics. All three are scheduled to return to Houston around Sept. 2. The Cougars were well represented at the Olympics. In addition to the two divers, UH diving head coach Jane Figueiredo served as an assistant coach on the Russian Team. This was the fourth Olympics in which Ilyina competed and the fourth for Figueiredo as well (three as coach, one as participant). Pakhalina took part in her second Olympic Games. A five-time NCAA individual national champion on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, Pakhalina established herself as one of the most decorated female student-athletes in Cougar history. The Penza, Russia, native reeled off 36 consecutive wins in collegiate competition and was an 11-time Conference USA Diver of the Week honoree. The dean of the UH Swimming and Diving Coach staff, Figueiredo is a two-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year and three-time recipient of the C-USA Coach of the Year honor and taken 16 divers to the NCAA Championships. In addition, her divers have swept all three C-USA postseason awards in each of the last three seasons. Ilyina, who begins her second season as an administrative assistant in 2004-05, was an award-winning diver at Texas from 1996-98.