Flying Squirrel Gets Fixed

For all you diving afficionados, I have a special bonus feature for you: diving pictures, plus a story!  Because everybody likes stories.

First, a photo of the Flying Squirrel in action.  Note the look of incredible focus and concentration on her face, despite being about a foot above the board:

Okay, so here's the story: 

Last week there was a meet in <name of town redacted to protect those involved>.  At most meets, there are three judges for diving (like shown in the photo above).  But at this meet, there were five judges, three from the conference and two who just happened to be coaches on the other team.  Because they needed judging practice, I guess.

Everything went pretty well through the first three dives or so.  But it soon became apparent that Vic was probably going to cruise to victory, even though she didn't have her best stuff on the night (she attempted two dives I had never even seen her do before).

And then...the strangest thing happened!  Suddenly, one of the judges started to score her about a point underneath the other four judges.  Now, it is true that this score gets thrown out - in a five judge meet the highest and lowest go out - but it did seem strange that suddenly he was lower than the other judges.

Even stranger, the same judge was suddenly scoring one of the opposition divers 1 to 1.5 points higher than the other judges.  Weird, huh?  It was completely inexplicable.  I couldn't think of any possible explanation for this, but perhaps you can cogitate for a while and come up with one.

So after five dives, without her best stuff, and with the Russian judge actively working against her, the Flying Squirrel came in 2nd place, but about 0.85 points.

Now for the funny part:  during the entire 70 minute drive home, she was hot.  I mean, raging hot.  It took about five minutes for her to speak in something other than swear words, and then another 5 for me to get a word in edgewise.  Because she's all sweetness and light until somebody starts keeping score, and then it's all Drago from Rocky saying "I must break you" and doing her best to utterly destroy the competition.

Finally I got her calmed down, and I said "so despite all that, she beat you by less than a point.  So what does that tell you if you meet her on a neutral board?"

"She's doomed," Vic says.

And then we ended with her Diving Affirmation.  It goes like this:

"Victoria, what is best in life?"

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their teammates!"

Below the fold, another photo from the diving meet of intense concentration: