One of the most decorated athletes in Duke history, Johnston and partner Kelci Bryant claimed the United States’ first-ever medal in synchronized diving and ended the country’s 12-year medal drought in all diving events in the London Olympics.
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A silver medalist as part of a synchronized diving duo in the London Olympics four years ago, Johnston went into the finals of the US team’s three-meter springboard individual competition in second place to Kassidy Cook on Sunday in Indianapolis.
Cook, who was seventh at the FINA World Cup in February to secure the first quota spot for the USA, heads into the finals in first place with 660.85 points.
The 3-meter springboard divers are Kristian Ipsen and Michael Hixon in the men’s individual event, while Kassidy Cook and Abby Johnston will compete on the women’s side.
New Albany native David Dinsmore will try to nail one of the two U.S. Olympic berths in the 10-meter platform in the finals Sunday night.
Johnston opened Sunday’s final in strong fashion, earning 69.00 points from the judges on a back 2 ½ somersault.
Cook, 21, broke onto the worldwide scene as a junior when she swept all three gold medals at the 2005 Junior Pan American Championships, the first of seven golds won at the event through 2009.
“I feel like I was able to stand up there and be confident and prove to every one that I was an individual diver as well”, Johnston said during the NBC broadcast.
Notification of the second spot comes in the middle of the U.S. Olympic Team Diving Trials.
Diving events at the 2016 Olympic Games begin Sunday, Aug. 7 in Rio.
David Dinsmore was third with 1463.15 points.
She also hugged Johnston, who gave the new Olympian her Olympic ring from 2012 in a symbolic welcoming gesture.
“I’m so thrilled for her”, Johnston said. Blue Devil teammate Nick McCrory joined Johnston in medaling at the 2012 London Games, winning bronze in the men’s synchronized platform competition. “She deserves it. It was so hard four years ago because we are such good friends, it really weighed on me to see someone so sad”.
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Hogshead is the only Duke swimmer to ever compete at the Olympics.
