Capobianco, Hixon add to U.S. divers' synchro success
Posted July 28, 2021 3:11 a.m. EDT
Updated July 28, 2021 9:11 p.m. EDT
One day after Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell won the competition to be the best non-Chinese divers in a synchronized event, Andrew Capobianco and Michael Hixon did the same in the men's synchronized 3m springboard.
The Americans even put a slight scare into the Chinese pair of Wang Zongyuan and Xie Siyi, posting the best score on the fifth of sixth dives to move with 13.20 points. But Wang and Xie left no doubt on their breathtaking forward 4 1/2-somersault tuck dive, scoring more than 10 points higher than the U.S. pair on the same dive.
Capobianco and Hixon started slowly and stood in fifth place after two dives. Their next two dives, though, were second only to the Chinese, immediately moving them to second. On the fifth dive, they put some distance between themselves and Mexico's Yahel Castillo and Juan Manuel Celaya.
The Mexican divers faltered on their sixth and final dive, leaving the door open for Germany's Patrick Hausding and Lars Rudiger to take bronze.
Capobianco, who has won the last two NCAA championships and has one more year of eligibility at Indiana, will also compete in the individual springboard event next week. Hixon overlapped with Capobianco, finishing his collegiate career in 2018.
Hixon won his second straight silver medal in the event after teaming with Sam Dorman in 2016. The U.S. also took bronze in this event in 2012 with Troy Dumais and Kristian Ipsen.
