Wenbo Chen: US diving coach looking for medals

[August 04, 2008]  BEIJING (AP) -- When the United States failed to win any diving medals four years ago in Athens, one of the changes was obvious -- get a Chinese coach.

So the Americans did. He's Wenbo Chen, and since he became an assistant 3 1/2 years ago, medals in international meets have been trickling in.

Now he's in China for the Beijing Olympics. And guess what? The Americans are expecting to win a few more.

"We were looking for some new ideas, and Mr. Chen has certainly brought those to us," U.S. diving coach John Wingfield said. "He has taken us from a development level to the top level."

Chen, who coached at Purdue, has added discipline, more training time and confidence to the American team. But now he has to deal with split loyalties.

"My family is really happy I'm here and they can watch me coach at the Olympics," said Chen, who grew up in southern China but spent much of his adult life in Beijing. "I think they will cheer for both, the Americans and Chinese. No problem with that. I have so many friends here, so it feels like being at home."

China asserted its dominance as the world's diving superpower four years ago, winning six of eight events at the Athens Olympics. Not much has changed.

At last year's world championships, the Chinese went one better, claiming seven of eight golds.

They'll be going for a golden sweep in their home pool. They signaled their intentions at a recent Grand Prix in Rome, winning all eight gold medals and finishing 1-2 in three of four individual events.

Six months ago in a World Cup event in Beijing -- at the newly opened Water Cube -- the U.S. won bronze in two events: David Boudia in 10-meter platform, and Kelci Bryant and Ariel Rittenhouse in 3-meter synchronized. In the 2007 world championships, Boudia and Thomas Finchum won bronze in 10-meter synchronized.

The U.S. is led by two veteran divers -- 2000 Olympic gold medalist Laura Wilkinson, and Troy Dumais who is competing in his third Olympics. Dumais has three sixth-place finishes -- and a fourth -- in two Olympics. The last U.S. medal in men's diving was a silver by Scott Donie in 1992, and Greg Louganis was the last gold in 1988.

After a gold in Sydney, Wilkinson slipped to fifth in Athens. Now she's back for her last Olympics, which she says feel like her first.

"This is a whole new Olympics and we don't know what is going to happen," Wilkinson said "I still have hope and I still think I have a medal chance. If I put all my dives together at the right time, I have a chance for gold. That would be a great ending, to end on a high note like that."

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN WADE]

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