More than 2,000 miles separate Mary Beth Dunnichay’s home in Elwood from synchronized diving partner Haley Ishimatsu’s in Seal Beach, Calif.
Their 10-meter platform routine demands a nearly perfect synergy of rhythms. It is, essentially, a choreographed ballet performed in mid-air while simultaneously plunging toward the water.
The judges produce five scores for each dive, and three of them rely solely on synchronization. So the slightest variation from one diver to the next can mean the difference between a podium finish and an empty-handed return trip home.
This spring and summer, Dunnichay and Ishimatsu’s task was even more difficult.
A shoulder injury kept Ishimatsu from competing in several FINA Grand Prix events, and the duo enjoyed precious little time practicing together.
But Dunnichay said their experience training together in the two years leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was more than enough to fill the gap.
She worked on her routine in Indianapolis while Ishimatsu worked on the same steps, twists and turns near San Diego.
“We know how each other trains,” Dunnichay said. “We know our timing. We just visualize and imagine standing next to each other.”
There’s no arguing the results.
Dunnichay and Ishimatsu won a silver medal at the FINA Aquatics World Championships on July 19 in Rome, Italy. It was the highest finish for the duo at a World Cup or World Championships event.
Dunnichay said she was extremely proud of the team’s performance, but she stopped short of saying it was the best of their career.
“I thought we put together a really good list,” she said. “We had fun, and we did the best we could. But I think we could have done even better. There’s always room for improvement.”
The trip home wasn’t quite so smooth.
The divers and their traveling party were supposed to have a direct flight from Rome to Washington, D.C. But as the flight neared the United Kingdom, the crew noticed a burning smell in one of the bathrooms.
“We were getting ready to fly over the ocean,” Dunnichay said. “And they said that’s not a problem you want when you’re flying over the ocean.”
So the plane was forced to land in Ireland, where fire trucks were waiting on the runway.
“It was kind of scary,” Dunnichay said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s going on?’”
The problem was fixed, and the team members flew on to London, where they stayed overnight. Dunnichay caught a 2 p.m. flight to Washington and had a 4 1/2-hour layover before boarding a flight to Indianapolis.
She arrived late Monday night and was welcomed by her two brothers, her sister, her sister’s fiancé and her boyfriend. It was the first time she’d seen them in a little over three weeks.
“It was such a relief,” Dunnichay said. “I was so excited to see everyone.”
Now she’ll finally get a chance to relax. She’s headed out for a vacation at the end of the week, and she’s not sure when she’ll compete again.
She’ll listen to her coaches and return to the pool when the time is right.
“I’m taking it easy right now,” Dunnichay said.
Despite the obstacles before them, Dunnichay and Ishimatsu have cemented their status as the top 10-meter team in the U.S.
Dunnichay said she never even considered looking for a new partner while Ishimatsu’s injury healed, and she likes their chances of returning to the Olympics in 2012.
“Even though we train across the country, we can still be the best in the country,” she said before pausing and adding, “and the second-best in the world.”
