BALLWIN, Mo. – St. Louis area 17-year-old Tyler Downs has solidified his spot on the 2021 USA Olympic Diving Team after his win over a pair of fierce competitors this past weekend.

Downs defeated Andrew Copobianco and David Boudia, both former Olympians, in the 3-meter springboard event at the U.S. diving trials in Indianapolis on Sunday. Copobianco placed second, still earning him a spot in the Tokyo games. 

Boudia, who won the 10-meter title at the 2012 London Olympics and finished third in the 2016 Rio games, placed third at qualifiers this weekend and missed his chance for a fourth Olympic appearance. 

Final tally of points placed Downs in first with 1333.75, and Copobianco and Boudia finishing with 1319.4 and 1314.95 points, respectively. 

Downs is no stranger to the big stage. He was profiled by KSDK’s 5 On Your Side as an up-and-coming star in the diving world at the mere age of 12-years-old. At this point, Downs had already won the 1-meter board national championship for his age group and secured a spot on the Pan American Junior Diving Team. 

According to his mother, Down’s coaches were already looking at his potential to qualify for the Olympics back then, but they were predicting a 2024 trip when he would be 21. Downs proved them wrong on Sunday, beating out his favorite diver, Boudia, for his first ticket to the Olympic games. 

Downs left his family home in Ballwin, Missouri a few years ago to train full time in Indiana, causing him to miss out on school dances and other activities that most kids his age experience. But that sacrifice surely paid off as he’s now preparing for his Olympic debut to represent the United States on the world stage.

The opening ceremony for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is on July 23, and Downs can expect Missouri to be cheering him on.