Catching Up with Nick McCrory

DURHAM, N.C. - Following a whirlwind summer of competition on the national and international stages, Nick McCrory is back in Durham preparing for the next round of events on the diving calendar.

The Chapel Hill, N.C., native finished sixth in the men's 10-meter at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, in June, while also taking fifth with David Boudia of Purdue in the men's synchronized 10-meter competition at the same event. McCrory then traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the AT&T National Diving Championships, where he captured the gold medal on the platform.

Closer to home, McCrory was the featured diver at the grand opening of the Greensboro Aquatic Center in late August. He was also honored on the field during the Duke-Stanford football game for his second consecutive NCAA national title in platform diving.

GoDuke.com recently sat down with McCrory to learn more about the diver's busy summer and training plans for the rest of the year.

GoDuke.com: Were you pleased with your first-place performance on the platform at the AT&T National Championships in August?

Nick McCrory: Nationals was a good experience this summer. It was a little difficult because it was after world championships, which is the big meet of the summer. A lot of the team that went to world championships with me was pretty burnt out and pretty tired. I went into nationals with the mentality that I was just going to enjoy it and relax, and not put pressure on myself. I just had fun. I actually debuted a new dive that I haven't competed before, so that was the biggest thing for me. It went really well, so I think I was most happy with that.

GoDuke.com: You mention the fatigue you experienced competing at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai and then at nationals in Los Angeles not long after. Was it difficult to travel that much and prepare for both competitions?

NC: It would have been one thing if we had gone straight from China to California and had nationals that week. But it was structured a little strangely because we came back from China and I took a week off. And then I had to gear up and train for a week and then go to nationals. It was too long to train the whole time, but since I took a break, it was a little bit awkward in terms of training. By the time I got over my jet lag [laughs], I was ready to go again.

GoDuke.com: Did you enjoy your experience at the world championships in China?

NC: I was really happy with my individual performance. I ended up sixth in individual, which is so far my highest world finish, so I was really happy with that. And I didn't miss anything in finals. I could have put in some better hits, but I had a solid showing. In syncho with David Boudia, it could have gone better. We had a really strong prelim and we were seeded second going into finals. And then we ended up fifth. I missed a dive in the fifth round and that kept us out of the medals. But it's something that you learn from and prepare for so it won't happen next time. Overall, it was a good world championships, and I definitely learned a lot. It wasn't necessarily the best outcome for me, but I have a lot of good lessons to take into next year that are going to help me with my training and competing.

GoDuke.com: What was it like to represent Team USA in China?

NC: We were all excited to be there supporting and representing the U.S. We had a really strong team. Everyone was diving well, and in every event, we had people in finals. We had a lot of depth on our team and I think Team USA is definitely on the upswing.

GoDuke.com: You also got to share that experience with Duke head diving coach Drew Johansen and diver Abby Johnston.

NC: It was really cool to have to such a large group of Duke athletes there. And I never saw her, but [2011 graduate] Ashley Twichell was also there for open water, so it was really cool having a little Duke group over there. We actually got to see some Duke alums while we were there, and it was really nice to feel the support while you're that far away from Duke.

GoDuke.com: You also spent a day this summer in Greensboro, N.C., diving at the grand opening of the Greensboro Aquatic Center. What is that facility like?

NC: The Greensboro pool is beautiful, and it was really exciting to be a part of their opening. I'm excited that they have that pool there. I think it's really going to help aquatic sports in the area, which is exciting for me because I got started as a swimmer and made the switch to diving. Age group and junior programs need to be more common around here, and it's just great that they have a brand new pool, especially one that's state of the art, right in Greensboro.

GoDuke.com: What is your training schedule for this fall?

NC: I wanted to have a gradual build back into everything, to work on some basics and fine-tuning things that, when I get to the end of my season, are really going to make a difference. I'm not doing the Pan American Games, so my next competition will be in December, and that will be the World Cup trials. And then the World Cup is in February in London. From there, it will be a ton of meets. The top eight from the previous year's world championships will get invited to do the [FINA] World Series. That's a series of four meets around the world, and they'll announce that in a month or two ... After that, I'll have the USA Grand Prix and then Olympic Trials. Everything is geared toward this spring. This fall semester is going to be pretty much devoted to training.

-d-u-k-e-

Catching Up with Nick McCrory

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