Tyler ‘polished’ as he prepares for Paris Olympics

MOULTRIE — Former Moss Farms Diving coach John Fox spent some time working with Carson Tyler recently before Tyler left to compete in the Paris Olympics.

And he sounded optimistic about the Colquitt County diver’s chances to perform well on the world stage.

“He looked really polished,” said Fox, who coached at Moss Farms for eight years before taking over the Auburn program last year. “He seemed like the same old Carson, having a lot of fun.

“He’s competed at the World Championships, but this is a different level. It’s just a new layer for him. But I think he’s very capable of bringing home a medal.”

Tyler is coming off an outstanding performance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in which he became the first U.S. diver in 24 years to qualify for the Olympics in both the springboard and platform events.

In fact, only two U.S. divers have qualified on both events: Greg Louganis in 1976, 1984 and 1988 and, most recently, Mark Ruiz in 2000.

But last month at the Trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tyler won on 10-meter platform and finished second to Andrew Capobianco on springboard to qualify for the Olympics in both events.

“To be mentioned in the same sentence with Greg Louganis is a big deal,” Fox said. “Carson is in such a hallowed group.”

Tyler became the first athlete in the long storied history of Moss Farms Diving to qualify for the Olympics.

Colquitt countians can watch Tyler perform in Paris on NBC. But they might have to set their alarm clocks.

He will compete first in the men’s 3-meter prelim on Tuesday, Aug. 6. It will be televised at 4 a.m. Eastern Time.

The 3-meter semifinal will be held the next day, also at 4 a.m.

If he qualifies for the final, it will be televised at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8.

The 10-meter prelim will be shown at 4 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.

The men’s 10-meter semifinal final will be aired on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 4 a.m., followed by the final at 9 a.m.

Tyler is part of an 11-member U.S. diving team that also includes Sarah Bacon, who will compete in the 3-meter and 3-meter synchronized diving events; Capobianco, 3-meter; Kassidy Cook, 3-meter synchro; Tyler Downs, 3-meter synchro; Greg Duncan, 3-meter synchro; Alison Gibson, 3-meter; Brandon Loschiavo, 10-meter; Jessica Parratto, 10-meter and 10-meter synchro; Delaney Schnell, 10-meter and 10-meter synchro; and Daryn Wright, 10-meter.

The U.S. team is coached by Drew Johansen, who also is Tyler’s coach at Indiana University.

The Paris Olympics mark the fourth time Johansen has been the U.S. Diving Team’s head coach. He also led the team in 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo.

This year’s team’s assistant coach is former Moss Farms coach and Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame member Wenbo Chen.

The team’s other coaches are David Boudia, Dwight Dumais, Jenny Johansen, Matt Scoggin and John Winfield.

Since the Olympic Team Trials, Tyler has continued training with Johansen at Indiana, where he has had the benefit of training along side Capobianco, who won a silver medal in the synchro event in the Tokyo Olympics, and Parratto, who has competed in the Olympics in both 2016 and 2021.

Both are Indiana graduates.

“It’s great that he is with two teammates who have been to the Olympics before,” Fox said. “He has had so many experienced people around him.”

Tyler’s Olympic Team Trials performances did not surprise Fox, who had predicted his protege would perform well there.

Over the last five years, Tyler has been on a course aimed at a berth on the Olympic team.

Representing Colquitt County High, he is a two-time Georgia high school champion and still holds the state record he set in 2021.

He also is a two-time junior national champion and his accomplishments also include:

• 2019 Junior Pan Am Championships team member, placing sixth on 1-meter, sixth on 3-meter and fifth on platform.

• 2021 Junior Pan American Games team member, earning a bronze medal on 1-meter and placing fourth on platform.

• 2021 Junior Pan American Championship team member, earning the gold medal on 1-meter and synchro 3-meter and silver on 3-meter.

• 2023 NCAA champion on platform

• 2023 Winter Nationals champion on synchronized 10-meter.

• 2024 NCAA champion on 3-meter and platform.

• 2024 Canada Cup silver medalist on 10-meter.

• 2024 American Cup bronze medalist on 10-meter.

More information on the U.S. Olympic Diving Team can be found at www.usadiving.org.