DIVING WORLD SERIES: Baja California prepares for Diving World Series 2012

The city of Tijuana will host the FINA Diving World Series from the 18th Thru the 22nd of April at the Aquatic Complex of the Baja California High Performance Center. This year the event will have a special taste for the local, national and foreign fans that wish to attend due to the proximity of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Many of the divers who will participate in this two-day competition will prepare at this stop prior to the Games in London. “We are working hard to have a great competition and to host a great event, we take it seriously and are very enthusiastic”, said Saul Castro Verdugo, General Director of the Baja California Sports Institute and head of the Organizing Committee.

Competition dates are scheduled on April 20th and 21st, but the entire competition atmosphere will start from April 18th, with the arrival of the FINA Committee Members, followed by the Athletes and the development of the Previous Technical Meeting.
“It is a wonderful experience, the first time we hosted it was sold out for the both days of competition and generated a positive impact in our community”, added Castro Verdugo.
A total of 50 to 60 divers are expected, as well as 20 to 30 coaches and 12 to 15 international judges. “We will review constantly all the progress in preparation for the team, thus we will held many meetings from here until the start and during the event”, said the Baja California Sports Director.
Baja California will be the fourth stop of the Series that start next March in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then will continue in Beijing, China. The third stop is scheduled by the second week of April in Moscow, Russia, and closes in Mexico.
In 2008, the Series had a great impact because the Mexican fans had the chance to see great divers like Chinese sensation and Olympic Champion Jin Jin Guo, Russian legend Dimitri Sautin, and Mexico’s Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz, who became bronze medalist in the synchronized competition in Beijing.
At the same time the celebration of the FINA Diving Series in this region of Mexico helped to develop the State’s sponsored Young Talents Program that has become a very important piece in a long-term preparation process for the future generations in years to come. (fina)