David Boudia

Hobbies

Playing football, computer games and spending time with friends. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 25 Sep 2011)

Occupation

Athlete, Student

Education

Communications - Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

Language(s) spoken

English

Club name

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

Coach

Adam Soldati (USA) from 2008 (usadiving.org, 14 July 2011; Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Handedness

Right (Athlete, 18 Mar 2007)

Sporting relatives

He was originally a gymnast. (Indianapolis Monthly 2006)

Other sports

Sister, Shauni, plays football at Southern Indiana University. (purduesports.com, 14 July 2011)

Debut

2005 for United States, Grand Prix (Russia) (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Additional information

Start of sporting career
He took up diving in 2000 in Indianapolis. (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Reason for taking up this sport
"I have always wanted to be an Olympian since age seven. I tried many different sports to try and make my dream come true. I found diving and I knew I could potentially accomplish it in this sport." (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Ambitions
To win a medal at the Olympic Games. (USOC, 10 May 2006)

Training
He does cross-training such as pilates and yoga in addition to his usual training in the pool. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 25 Sep 2011)

Most memorable sporting achievement
Competing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and winning silver at the 2011 World Championship in Shanghai. (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Hero
He says that watching United States diver Laura Wilkinson win gold off the 10m platform at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was the time he first started thinking about winning a gold medal for himself. (USOC, 10 May 2006)

Most influential person in career
Coach Adam Soldati. (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"What am I doing now to get where I want to be in the future." (Athlete, 25 Feb 2012)

Awards
He was named 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Diver of the Year in March 2011. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 25 Sep 2011)

2008 and 2010 USA Diving Athlete of the Year and is a 14-time USA National Champion. (usadiving.org, 14 July 2011)

At the 2010 AT&T National Diving Championships he became the first US diver to score more than 600 points on 10m platform under the current scoring format. (usadiving.org, 14 July 2011)

General
FEAR OF HEIGHTS
He started diving on the 1m and 3m springboards before opting to specialise on the 10m platform, but dreaded the climb up the stairs as he had a fear of heights and the dives. He needed sessions with a sports psychologist to devise coping mechanisms to help him conquer his fears. "All divers are crazy for doing what they do," he said. "But now [for me] it's just a walk in the park." (Indianapolis Monthly 2006)

Previous Olympics

Beijing 2008