For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0687
sports@stlouissports.org

2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – DIVING BEGINS MONDAY IN ST. PETERS

REC-PLEX READY TO HOST ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE SPORTING EVENTS TO COME TO ST. CHARLES COUNTY

ST. LOUIS – June 4, 2004 – Throughout history diving has been one of America's most dominant and popular Olympic Sports. Now local fans will have the opportunity to watch the nation's top divers and Olympic hopefuls at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving, which begins Monday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. The first session, Men's Platform Prelims, starts at noon. The Women's Platform Prelims are at 7 p.m. Approximately 100 of America's best divers will compete for 11 spots on the U.S. Olympic Team June 7-13. The Trials will decide who will represent the United States at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece.

The 2004 Trials in St. Louis are particularly special because the sport of diving is returning to its Olympic birthplace. Diving made its Olympic debut at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis at a man-made lake just west of Forest Park. 100 years later U.S. Diving has compiled the highest medal-winning percentage of all American Olympic sports. U.S. Divers have won 52 percent of the gold medals and 49 percent of all medals awarded since 1904.

The Trials will receive four hours of national TV coverage by NBC Sports. NBC is televising the men's and women's platform finals live in primetime June 12-13.

The 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving are one of the signature events of Celebrate 2004 , the region's yearlong civic celebration highlighting revitalization accomplishments and marking the centennial of the 1904 Olympics and World's Fair, and bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. 2004 also marks the 10 th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis and the completion of the St. Peters Rec-Plex. The Trials are hosted by the City of St. Peters and the St. Louis Sports Commission.

Below are some things to keep an eye on during the event:

TOP 10 DIVERS TO WATCH
More than 100 of America's top divers will be at the Rec-Plex competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, but only 11 will represent their country at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece. The following are the favorites entering the competition:

DIVING 101
Listed below are the definitions of five diving terms that you may see and hear several times throughout the week:

Platform
The stationary, non-bending diving platform is 10-meters (approximately 33-feet) tall. The platform must be at least 20-feet long and six and a half feet wide. The platform structure typically also includes levels at 3-, 5-, 7 ½-meters that are used during training.

Springboard
An adjustable diving board that regulates “springiness.” It is 3-meters (more than 9-feet) above the water.

Synchro
Two divers of the same gender perform the same or complementary dives from the same level board. On the platform, divers takeoff from opposite sides of the platform. On the springboard, divers takeoff from adjacent boards. Synchronized diving became an official Olympic sport during the 2000 Summer Games.

Degree of Difficulty
Rating of each dive prior to the attempt, ranging from 1.2 to 3.7 for executing the dive. The degree of difficulty is multiplied by the sum of the judges' scores in figuring the score for a dive.

Entry
The conclusion of a dive as the diver makes contact with the water. May be either head or feet-first. Upon entry, the body should always be near vertical in a straight position with toes pointed. In a headfirst entry, arms should be stretched above the head in line with the body and hands close together.

PARKING & FREE SHUTTLE
Parking at the St. Peters Rec-Plex will be limited during the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. The Rec-Plex lot will open two hours prior to each session and the cost to park is $5. Fans are encouraged to use a free shuttle service available at Westfield Shoppingtown-Mid Rivers, across from Best Buy, approximately one mile from the Rec-Plex. The shuttle will begin running two hours before each session and continue until one hour after the event.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Tickets can be purchased by calling MetroTix at 314-534-1111, ordering online at www.metrotix.com , or by visiting any MetroTix outlet, including Schnucks, Famous-Barr, and the Rec-Plex, 5200 Mexico Road, in St. Peters. Tickets for the seven preliminary sessions cost $5, $10 and $15. Tickets for the five finals sessions are $20, $25 and $30. All-session tickets, which provide admission to all 12 sessions, are $95, $110, and $130.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Media seeking interviews or more information on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials can contact Lisa Bedian , City of St. Peters director of community relations, at 636-477-6600 ext. 229 or Doug Bray , Sports Commission communications manager, at 314-206-7388.