Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Paola Espinosa, Mexico, Diving

Mexican bloggers have been gushing about Paola Espinosa's cover-girl looks. Terra, a heavily trafficked Spanish Web site, posted a 16-photo gallery of Espinosa under the headline "The beauty sets off for Beijing."

But while the Web buzzes about Espinosa's appearance, judges and serious Olympic fans are captivated by her whirligig dives.

Espinosa, who is from the Baja California resort city of La Paz, has won two world championships this year, including top honors in May in the 10-meter platform competition in Sheffield, England. In the Mexican media, she's been dubbed the "queen" of a new generation of scintillating Mexican divers, as well as one of the country's great hopes for gold in Beijing.

Espinosa, who turns 22 on July 31, already is an Olympic veteran, despite her youth. She came out of nowhere to make the Mexican Olympic squad for the 2004 Games in Athens and barely missed winning a medal.

In China, she should find the athletic traditions familiar. For years, she has been trained by the respected Chinese coach Ma Jin.

-- Manuel Roig-Franzia