Brandon Diver Colwill Breaks Foot
Published: Jul 12, 2007
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Brandon diver Chris Colwill's Olympic dreams are far from over - but his summer certainly is.
The 22-year-old national champion broke three metatarsal bones in his right foot June 20. He was warming up for a diving exhibition for a group of 60 children at an Atlanta pool when he was injured. He fell off the diving board while "double bouncing," a technique commonly used by divers before competition.
"You bounce on the board before you start just to get a feel," said Colwill, who earned gold and bronze medals in Spain and Italy last month while competing for the U.S. Olympic diving team. "I caught a bad bounce. When I fell off, the board snapped back and got my toes."
Colwill, a Tampa Prep graduate, is wearing a medical boot and walking with the help of crutches. He will miss the upcoming World University Games and U.S. Senior Nationals, but he expects to return to full strength by the end of August.
"I'm working out every day and doing rehab now to get my leg strength back," said Colwill, who has one more year of eligibility left at the University of Georgia. "I'll have time to get ready for the [Olympics in 2008]. It's hard for me to accept that I'm done for the summer but … I consider myself lucky."
The Atlanta children Colwill was performing for sent him a get-well card with all of their signatures.
"At least [the kids] know now that even a diver at my level makes mistakes," Colwill said. "They probably hadn't learned that yet."
Reporter Todd Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7617 or rtjohnson@tampatrib.com.
