Did anyone see this - US diver Davis escapes serious injury in springboard accident

[transparant]

US diver Davis escapes serious injury in springboard accident Fri Jul 22, 8:28 PM ET



MONTREAL (AFP) - US diver Chelsea Davis smacked her forehead into the 3m springboard during the preliminary competition at the World Swimming Championships but escaped serious injury.


"Chelsea has no fracture, maybe just a little chip fracture but basically her nose was not broken," said US diving team leader Bob Rydze.

"The plastic surgeon is putting two or three stitches up on the bridge of her nose. That's the only place she was cut.

"She knew she hit the board, and she knew what dive she hit the board on, which was a very good sign. A lot of times divers hit the board and forget on what dive they hit the board."

Rydze said Davis, 17, was released from the hospital later Friday, and still wanted to compete in the 3m synchronized springboard on Sunday.

She is entered with 10m platform gold medallist Laura Wilkinson, although the lineup can be changed if Davis is unable to go ahead.

"Our other girls are getting prepared," Rydze said. "The issue will be how the swelling and pain are tomorrow. Mentally she wants to dive. It's going to be more of a physical thing."

Nevertheless, the scary moment sent shockwaves through the competition. The end edge of the board cut across the bridge of Davis's nose, and when she was lifted onto a floating stretcher her face was covered in blood.

German coach Lutz Buschkow leapt into the water to assist her.

"I was the one closest to the pool," he said. "When I saw Chelsea hit the board I didn't think twice about it. I just jumped in the water to get her."

Mexico's Jashia Luna, who was diving after Davis in the preliminary order, was shocked by the sight, more so because she had herself hit her hand on the board in the previous round.

"Seeing Chelsea Davis hit the board affected me a little bit," said Luna, who didn't make it out of the preliminaries of the competition won by China's Guo Jingjing. "It was weird, because I hit the board before her. After I saw her hit the board I started shaking.

"The judges asked me if I was OK, and I told them I was OK and I could do it. But then when I was on the board I started shaking again."

 

[dis4me]

OUCh I hope she is Ok. That is terrible

 

[cynsaun]

That is absolutely amazing! I'm glad she is ok!

 

[Pop Daddy]

she should have trained for ballet instead

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I saw it on CNN/Headline News while DD was at therapy tonight. OUCH! She's really lucky that she didn't suffer a concussion, break her nose or do more damage than what required just 3 stitches.

 

[Nancy]

I saw it on CNN. It was bad enough seeing it and then they showed it in slow motion! I had to close my eyes!

 

[poohandwendy]

I have a hard time looking at that because my DD was a varsity diver in HS...that is a parent's worst nightmare when you watch them dive Obviously for the divers too, LOL.

My DD never hit her head on the board, but nicked her fingers a few times.

I am so glad Chelsea is ok...how scary.

 

[transparant]

Did anyone actually see the clip? Was she conscious when she hit the water? Did anyone have to dive in to get her or was she ok to come out by herself?

 

[robinb]

Ouch! I was thinking that my DD might want to try diving in the next couple of years. Then again ... maybe not.

 

[Pop Daddy]

Did anyone actually see the clip? Was she conscious when she hit the water? Did anyone have to dive in to get her or was she ok to come out by herself?

they dove in and helped her out but she never lost conscious, wasnt very serious

 

[transparant]

they dove in and helped her out but she never lost conscious, wasnt very serious

Thank God it wasn't serious - I would be freaking out if I were her mother watching that!

 

[lulugirl]

That picture makes me cringe.

 

[ADisneygirl]

I saw it on an ESPN clip. It looked terrible, and then they decided to show it again in slow motion, in case we blinked and missed some of the horror or something. She is very lucky that she didn't break her neck. She swam over to the side where teammates and coaches lifted her up and out of the pool. She was holding her bleeding forehead.

A miracle.