JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – University of Houston rising sophomore Micaela Bouter was selected to represent her native country of South Africa at the 2015 FINA World Championships, it was announced Wednesday. The event runs from July 24 – Aug. 9in Kazan, Russia, and Bouter will compete in the 1-meter dive, which will take place on Sunday, July 26.
Bouter qualified for the World Championships by placing second in the 1-meter at the South African National Aquatic Championships in April. Though she hit the qualifying score at the event, Swimming South Africa, the governing body of the sport in South Africa, did not officially select its team until Wednesday.
The 2015 All-American Athletic Conference selection is the first Cougar to dive at the FINA World Championships since 2011, when Julia Lonnegren (Sweden) and Anastasia Pozdniakova (Russia) each competed at the event in Shanghai, China.
Houston divers have a tremendous record of success at the FINA World Championships. Current assistant coach Yulia Pakhalina won eight medals at the event, including a pair of golds (3-meter and 3-meter synchronized) at the 1998 competition in Perth, Australia and another gold in the 1-meter in the 2009 Rome, Italy Championships.
Pozdniakova also took home a medal from the 2009 Championships, earning bronze in the 3-meter synchronized event.
Swimming news courtesy of University of Houston Swimming and Diving.