Aaron Fleshner Earns USA World Diving Championship Team Berth
5/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
May 16, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Alabama swimming and diving alumni Aaron Fleshner, a six-time All-American during his 2007-10 Crimson Tide tenure, earned a place on the United States World Championship team this past weekend.
"Aaron really fought hard the whole way, overcoming some adversity, staying mentally tough down the stretch to make this U.S. team," UA diving coach Pat Greenwell said. "He really did a tremendous job, and I'm very proud of him."
Fleshner took second off the 1-meter board at the U.S. World Championship trials held in Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend with a two-list total of 770.25 points, just behind 2008 U.S. Olympian Chris Colwill. Fleshner finished more than a dozen points ahead of third-place finisher Drew Livingston.
The 2011 World Championships are set for July 16-24 in Shanghai, China, and will serve as the first opportunity for countries to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.
All-American Adam Booher, a 2011 UA senior, also made the 1-meter finals of the U.S. World Championship trials, finishing in ninth place with 651.90 points. Booher, a native of Washington, D.C. earned a pair of All-American honors this past season.
"Adam did a great job here," Greenwell said. "I think he and Aaron really helped each other out, cheering each other on and keeping things moving forward. It was a great weekend for Alabama diving."
Fleshner is the second Tide diver to make the U.S. World Championship team, following in the footsteps of 1998 NCAA Platform Champion Brent Roberts who dove for Team USA at the Perth, Australia, hosted World Championships in 1998.
A native of Spring, Texas, Fleshner was a four-year All-American, as well as a multiple Southeastern Conference Champion and the 2009 SEC Diver of the Year during his time at Alabama. He was seventh off the three-meter board at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials and finished as high as third at the NCAA Championships. He is currently training in Tuscaloosa while completing his engineering degree.
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