By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

As the Olympic Diving Trials begin today in St. Peters, Mo., one of Cincinnati's top two divers talks of gaining experience to prepare for the future. The other, sidelined, must wonder about her future.

Indian Hill graduate Emily Hunter, 19, is a long shot in the 10-meter platform event, and says she'll more likely be a contender for the 2008 Games.

For Anderson grad Nicci Fusaro, this was to have been the year. She placed 10th on 3-meter springboard in the 2000 Trials and is a veteran of four U.S. national teams. But cartilage damage in her left knee necessitated arthroscopic surgery six weeks ago, leaving her out of the meet and wondering whether to retire.

"It's awful timing, but there's no way I could have kept diving (without surgery)," Fusaro said. "It's really difficult right now. This is what I had worked for the last four years."

Fusaro, 22, just completed her senior season at Southern California. She's on a five-year scholarship program, so she's mulling whether to compete for the Trojan Dive Club - in senior-level events, not NCAA - one more year while she finishes school. Either way, the Olympic dream is over.

"I'm going to wait until I'm healthy to decide," she said. "I would like to be able to dive at nationals (in spring 2005) and try to make the national team, just to end on a better note.

"If not, I can't say I would change anything. Diving has been great to me."

Fusaro, who had qualified for Trials on both 3- and 10-meter, said this is her first serious injury in 13 years of diving.

Fusaro and Hunter, who just finished her freshman season at Georgia, are former Cincinnati Stingrays teammates. "I'm really bummed to hear about Nicci," Hunter said.

Hunter, the first person to win four Ohio prep diving titles, capped a strong freshman season by placing second on platform at the Southeastern Conference Championships. Her best senior-level finish is eighth, at 2001 Nationals.

There are 21 women in the platform preliminaries, scheduled for tonight. The field will be cut to 18 for the semifinals, which immediately follow. The top 12 at night's end advance to the finals Sunday. The top two finishers make the Olympic team.

"I'm mostly just happy to be here," Hunter said. "I want to aim for the finals. If I'm still diving in 2008, the goal then would be to make the team. That gives me plenty of time."

Olympic Trials

Where: St. Peters, Mo.

When: Today through Sunday.

At stake: Top two finishers in

3-meter and 10-meter events qualify for Olympics.

TV: Saturday - 10 a.m.-noon, USA; 2-3 p.m., NBC; 8-9 p.m., NBC. Sunday - 2-3 p.m., NBC; 7-8 p.m., NBC.

E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com