Injury hampers Soldati in diving event

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - U.S. diver Kimiko Soldati, suffering from a lingering shoulder injury, failed to qualify Wednesday for the semifinals of the women's 3-meter springboard at the Summer Olympics.

The Magnolia, Texas, resident finished 21st in the preliminary round with 252.36 points. The top 18 advanced to Thursday's semifinals inside the Olympic Aquatic Centre, including leader Yulia Pakhalina of Russia with 347.04 points.

American Rachelle Kunkell qualified 12th with 294.75 points. Juliana Veloso of Brazil was the final qualifier with 265.29 points.

Soldati, whose father was born in 1945 inside a Japanese internment camp in Idaho, has battled the bad shoulder since the Olympic Trials in June.

She said her Olympic experience wasn't what she imagined.

``It is disappointing, but given the circumstances and the lack of training that I have been able to do because of my shoulder, I went out and gave it my all. I left my heart out there and didn't leave anything behind,'' she said.

``I never gave up throughout the competition. I am proud of that and I feel like I kept the faith. I finished the race and gave it my best shot but it just wasn't in the cards.''