While diver David Boudia dazzled in his group during Friday's men platform semifinal, teammate Thomas Finchum cheered him on from the stands at Fort Lauderdale's International Swimming Hall of Fame pool.
Finchum had just advanced from the men's platform semifinal, and he wanted to watch for reasons deeper than sizing up his competition.
The Olympic hopefuls train together and compete against each other. The caveat: They also team together for the synchronized 3-meter springboard.
Both qualified for Sunday's men platform final at the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix -- one of the most prestigious meets in the world.
''It's something that's kind of hard to explain because David and I are really good friends, but then, at the same time, we're competitors,'' Finchum said. ``We really do push each other. We've done a good job of balancing our friendship and competitiveness. It's hard to do, but we've stayed friends.''
More than six years ago, they began training together in Indianapolis with coach John Wingfield, who encouraged them to become partners in the synchronized event. Finchum narrowly missed qualifying for the 2004 Athen Summer Games. Now both are considered bona fide contenders to make the U.S. team for the Beijing Games in August.
BACK ON THE MAP
Finchum, 18, and Boudia, 19, are yearning to be part of the team that puts U.S. Diving back on the podium at the Olympics. After the U.S. team failed to medal in Athens for the first time since 1912, Finchum and Boudia believe they can help the Americans avoid a shutout.
Finchum won a bronze at the World Cup in Beijing in February, his first experience in the Olympic pool.
Finchum visualizes being at the Olympic pool daily, something his sports psychologist advised him to do.
''It's like you're in the competition every night, so when you get there it's going to be just like any other day,'' said Finchum, an eight-time champion and the 2007 USA Diving Athlete of the Year.
In 2004, Finchum finished second in the Olympic trials 10-meter, which would have earned him an Athens berth if not for complicated rules for how the U.S. team spots are awarded.
The teen star was forced to wait. Since then, Finchum has grown from 5-2, 100 pounds to 6-1, 155 pounds.
''I feel more mature as an athlete and feel my diving is a little more polished,'' he said.
Added Boudia, a seven-time national champion: ``It was the best experience I could have had at that age.
``It was funny because we had no expectation going into the '04 trials. That was a big confidence booster.''
Boudia beat five other divers in his semifinal Friday and scored a 102.6 on his fifth dive, a back 3 ½ somersault that was among the most difficult in the field.
Finchum placed second in his semifinal and had his best dive of the day in the preliminary, scoring a 92.40 on a back 3 ½ somersault.
Finchum wore a wrap around his lower left leg, covering part of the scar from a training mishap seven weeks ago when his lower leg caught the diving board in a dry-land training room. Finchum said he had about 80 stitches and could not dive for 3 ½ weeks.
He is on the mend, back on track and back to spending each day with Boudia.
''We really are like brothers,'' Finchum said.
RIVALRY NOT A STRAIN
Through years competition, they have not allowed diving to put a strain on their friendship. Yet Boudia sees why others view the pair as each other's biggest rivals.
''I try to look at it as beating myself and trying to do better at each meet,'' he said.
On Sunday, their friendly rivalry again will be on display in the finals.
• Russians Yulia Pakalina and Anatasia Pozdniakova won the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard final Friday night. Christiana Loukas and Amanda Miller were the top-finishing American pair, taking fourth place.
• American's Allison Brennan and Chelsea Davis advanced to the women's 3-meter springboard final Sunday, which also will feature China's He Zi, Italy's Tania Cagnotto, Sweden's Anna Lindberg and Pakalina.
