Background[]
- Christina Loukas platform diver in 2008
- 22 in 2008 diving for Indiana University
Details[]
2008[]
- Loukas led by nearly 30 points after the morning preliminaries at USA Diving Olympic Trials in 2008 in Indy. She was even stronger in the evening session, when the scores carried over. She totaled 729.85 points, well ahead of second-place Nancilea Foster (681.40).
Foster was strongest on her first and last dives, earning bunches of 8.5s. She closed out with a reverse 21/2 somersault pike.
"Even as I hit the water, I just thought, 'That is my favorite moment of diving,"' she said. "It's a dive that I've hit before in important stress situations. Just knowing I did it right is very good."
Ariel Rittenhouse, second after prelims, slipped to third with 650.30 after botching her second dive.
Insights[]
Indiana University SID posting[]
- Redshirt from IU in 2007-08 to prepare for Olympic Trials.
JUNIOR YEAR (2006-07)[]
Earned her first national title with a gold in the one-meter at the Kaiser Permanente National Championships in July ... also took third in the three-meter solo and synchro finals ... went on to earn a silver medal in the three-meter at the 2007 World University Games in Thailand ... second in the one-meter at the 2007 Speedo USA Diving Spring National ... placed second in the three-meter ... took silver in the three-meter synchro (302.10) and bronze in the one-meter (261.65) at the Italian Grand Prix in June ... turned in one of the most dominant performances in Big Ten diving history, becoming just the fourth league diver to win all three diving events in the same championship meet ... set a new school and Big Ten record in winning the platform (358.80) and a new school record in taking the three-meter (387.95), earning Big Ten Diver of the Year and Diver of the Championships honors for the third straight year ... first-team All-Big Ten ... her three wins helped lead the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title ... took second in the one-meter and ninth in the three-meter at the NCAA Championships ... smashed her school record with a score of 360.35 in the 1-meter ... won the one-meter and three-meter events at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships ... represented the USA at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, competing in the one-meter ... named Big Ten Diver of the Week on three occasions (Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 21) ... took first in the one-meter (301.05) and three-meter (373.95) in a dual meet with Kentucky on Oct. 22 ... accomplished the same feat the following week (1m-293.32; 3m-319.80) against Northwestern for her second consecutive Big Ten Diver of the Week honor ... posted a total of eight wins on the season, taking first in every regular season event entered ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
SOPHOMORE YEAR (2005-06)[]
Became the first three-time NCAA championship finalist for the Hoosiers since Sara Reiling dove in all three final sessions at the 2002 Championships ... also tied Reiling's performance from that season for the best all-around effort at the pinnacle meet ... placed fifth on the one-meter, second on the three-meter and sixth on the tower ... earned Big Ten Diver of the Year and of the Championships for the second consecutive season ... won the one-meter title at the Big Ten Championships with a then-school- and conference-record score of 345.20 ... finished second on the platform with 312.10 points to secure her Diver of the Championships nod ... placed 13th on the three-meter at Big Tens ... scorched the competition at Minnesota with a 335.55 to win the one-meter crown ... that tally eclipsed IU's dual-meet school record previously set by Sara Reiling with a 327.75 in 2003 ... earned three Big Ten Diver of the Week honors ... garnered a spot on USA Diving's FINA Grand Prix team ... won 10 event titles ... finished in the top three nine other times ... earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition ... won the individual high point award at the Kaiser Permanente National Championships in August ... finished second on the three-meter, sixth on the one-meter and won the national championship in the synchro platform with former IU standout Cassandra Cardinell.
FRESHMAN YEAR (2004-05)[]
Broke Sara Reiling's school dual-meet record in the three-meter against Penn State ... posted a first-place mark of 354.00 in the event ... claimed seven event crowns ... captured a title sweep against Illinois ... placed in the top three 15 times ... participated in the USA Diving International Team Selection Camp in Indianapolis ... named Big Ten Diver of the Year and of the Championships ... earned spot on World University Games roster ... captured the Big Ten one-meter crown ... finished second on the three-meter and fourth on the platform ... claimed the one-meter title at the Zone C Championships ... placed sixth on the platform and eighth on the three-meter at Zone Cs ... earned a trio of All-America certificates at NCAAs ... finished fifth on the three-meter, seventh on the one-meter and 10th on the tower ... finished sixth on the one-meter at the World Championships.
PREP/PERSONAL[]
Won the Illinois high school state diving championship three straight years (2001-03) ... was second as a freshman in 2000 ... three time NISCA All-American ... was a finalist, placing seventh on the three-meter, at the 2004 U.S. Senior National Championships ... at the 2004 Speedo National Junior Championships, finished second on both the one-meter and three-meter ... won the one-meter and the three-meter at the 2004 Junior Summer West Championships ... Junior Olympic national finalist on the one-meter and three-meter in 2001 ... qualified for the Junior Olympic West Nationals in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 ... was the Region 5 champion on the one-meter in 2003 both in the winter and summer ... dove club at Windy City Diving, coached by Susan Bromberg ... daughter of George and Patty Loukas ... born Dec. 19, 1985.