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Q&A U.S. divers Troy Dumias and Mark Ruiz
Posted: Saturday June 24, 2000 02:38 PM
U.S. divers Troy Dumais and Mark Ruiz answered questions from the media after earning berth (3-meter springboard) on the 2000 Olympic team. Question: Troy can you tell us about your day, starting about 2 a.m.? Dumais: Well, (it started) about 11 p.m. last night. I had previously had kidney stones in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), a year ago about this time. I woke up (last night) and I thought it was a little muscle spasm. I fell asleep, but woke up at about 1 in the morning and couldn't move. So I went into the emergency room and passed a kidney stone. Then I felt fine, perfect, had an IV running through me and then passed another one at 4 or 5 o'clock coming here to the pool. I went to the emergency room and had another IV hooked up to me. So, it's been a long day, but it's all worth it. To be a part of the 2000 Olympic team with my boy (Mark Ruiz) over here. We had it from the start -- from the get go. You and me baby, that's it. Ruiz: We had called it even before we had gotten to the trials here. Actually, since last summer we've been saying we were going to make the Olympic team, just us two. And here we are today. Question: Were you a little worried, Mark when you dropped down to 6th for awhile? Ruiz: Worried? That's not even the word! I thought I was pretty much out of it. I give a lot of credit to my coach, most of all. I also want to give credit to Micki King. She helped me through, and she said "Mark, you're not diving like you normally dive. You know, your not smiling up there. You're diving too serious." That's one thing that helped me a lot, because then after that I was like, "Micki, I'm going to try to just have fun and go out there and smile every time before a dive." That's exactly what I did, and that helped out a lot. So I want to give some credit to her also, because she noticed that I was doing something wrong in my competition. Question: Can you talk about your final dive? Ruiz: My final dive -- it's a reverse 3 and half (somersaults) with a half (twist). I said all along that I just wanted to have a chance to make the team with that last dive because that's a really good dive for me. It's gotten me a lot of things...that dive. It's a good dive, and I'm very good under pressure with it. Going into it, I was thinking "Mark, just get a good hurdle, good takeoff, and then take a look right where you're going." When I took off I said, "Man, this feels really good." I mean, it felt like I was really high. I just came out, looked underwater, and I knew right away that I did a good one. I didn't know how good, but I knew that I did a good one. Question: Troy did you watch the end of the last dive? Could you watch it? Dumais: No, I didn't actually watch it. It was to the point where I did everything I could do. I just went with the flow with everything and let time stand still and take control. My hats off to David -- he's a great competitor and a great diver. In the back of my mind, I was in second place in the '96 trials, and David did a gainer 3 and half like no other and he ended up beating me in '96. I didn't say anything mean, I didn't say I hope he misses it. In the back of my mind I knew I did everything that I possibly could do, and I just put it into God's hands. First of all, I just want to thank Ben Ruben and my coach, Matt Scoggin. They believed in me the whole way through, just like my family did and the rest of the crowd. It was amazing to dive in a place so loud. Ruiz: This is probably the best meet I have been to in my life, been a part of. Especially both of us diving so well. We had the two biggest crowds out there. And I have to thank my family, my friends, all of my supporters, all my fans out there also. My friends and family members who were here tonight, watching me supporting me, I just want to thank them a lot. I want to dedicate this to my coach and my mom and the friends and family members that I had over here. Question: Troy, at any point did you think you weren't going to compete? Dumais: No. Actually, do you know who put the doubt in my mind? It was my coach. When I got the second episode of kidney stones, he's like "Hey, do you want me to call up Jim Hocking and have Travis Niemeyer dive?" I said this, and I will tell you this right now: If I can't dive -- warn him, let him know to get ready and practice. But if I'm anywhere near walking, I'm diving, because I earned it. I've worked too many years, four years, eight years, since '96 -- since I was a little kid. To step out of competition that I knew I could be a part of, even if it meant getting 3rd, 4th, or 5th. Question: Do you have any kidney stones left, do they know? Dumais: I didn't have an ultra sound, it was just too quick. I wanted my rest early in the morning, I just wanted to get through the pain. I'll tell you right now, it's the worst thing ever, it's like your whole side is about to explode. Question: What happened on the one dive that you missed? Dumais: I can't tell you if it was a lack of concentration ... I was just being a little tentative. I normally do a gainer 3-and-a-half, and I really, really wanted to do a gainer 3-and-a-half in this contest -- it's one of my best options. I held back, not just because I was feeling ill -- just because I knew I could hit a gainer 2-and-a-half for 9's, 9.5's. It's a very good dive for me. I took off the board, and some coaches, judges came up to me and said, "I was getting ready to hit that ten button." But it wasn't meant to be at that time. I pressed out a little earlier, I didn't get into my pike as deep as I normally do because I was just a little tentative. After I do that and miss that dive, I make myself mad. And I've told you guys before, when I make myself mad it pumps me up to the point that I'm going to go, and no one is going to stop me. It's just one of the gifts that God gave me to do that. To step up when I need to. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every minute of this meet. Question: Mark, when you did your last dive, were you sure it was going to hold up? Ruiz: No, I didn't know, I really didn't know. After we finished our contest, Troy said, "How was my dive?" I didn't even watch his dive, I was so nervous. I knew I did the best I could. I was just happy that I did a good one. That I came through, the way I did. That's what I was just happy for, and knowing that I made the Olympic team that was even better. I am just happy that I have my best friend in diving here with me. Right next to me. We're going to go out to the Olympics and have a great time. I'm sure we will bring home some medals. Question: When did you two become friends? Do you remember the first time you met him? Ruiz: A long time ago, when I first moved to the United States. Actually, I don't know if Troy even liked me very much when he first saw me. I came from Puerto Rico, and I was just another kid coming up -- I was diving so well at the time, winning all these meets. Troy had heard so much about me at that point, so when we first saw each other it was "I'm going to beat you," "No, I' m going to beat you." We've always been very good rivals, even through our junior careers. We've been good rivals, and it's been a rivalry since we were little kids. We've never taken it any further. We've been good friends since we were little kids, since I was 13 and he was 12 at the time. It's gotten stronger and stronger every year. Question: Troy what time did you go to the hospital the second time today? Dumais: I left my hotel probably around 4:35, 4:40 (a.m.). The crazy thing about it was that Dr. Peterson had been reading your articles that you guys have been putting in the newspapers. He cleared out a room immediately for me and got me in within about 5 minutes, versus the three hour waiting period that they had about 20 minutes before I got there. He's the man, he's the man of the hour that got me going, mentally and physically. Once I got that IV in, and once I got that Torodal shot that I got the night before, I knew I would be fine because it had worked before and I had confidence in it. Question: Did you have to be careful about painkillers? Did everyone know what you could and couldn't take? Dumais: There's a total banned list. Normally for kidney stones to knock out the pain, they use narcotics and I can't use any narcotics because they're on the banned list. I don't want to make the team and have it taken away. Just because of one little silly mess up.
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