University of Minnesota Athletics
New In Town: Gopher Diving Wenbo and Bryant
10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
As the University of Minnesota women’s swimming team progresses through its 2009-10 season, many will notice the new faces around the University Aquatic Center. This annual happening introduces the Golden Gophers’ newest athletes that will sport maroon and gold.
This year, however, Minnesota welcomes two unique faces to its program; diver Kelci Bryant and diving head coach Wenbo Chen. What makes the two so uncommon is their experience at the Olympic level. By coming to Minnesota, Bryant becomes the first Olympic diver to ever compete for the women’s swimming and diving team. All the while she returns to working under Wenbo, her Olympic coach.
For four years, Wenbo was the head coach of USA Diving as well as the associate director for USA Diving’s National Training Center in Indianapolis. During that time he coached Bryant and other divers to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. For seven days, Bryant competed and trained in the springboard synchronized 3-meter with partner and Southern California diver Ariel Rittenhouse. After making the finals the duo had a chance to medal, but fate was not on their side. In the end the pair narrowly missed out standing on a podium, finishing fourth.
“I just think about how bad I want the medal in 2012 and how disappointing it was [in 2008],” Bryant said. “I can still remember looking up at the scoreboard after we came out of the water and seeing that we ended up in fourth place.”
From that disappointment Bryant gained more determination to succeed at an elite level. The only way she knew how to do so was to continue training under Wenbo’s guidance. The two first met when Bryant was three, but Bryant does not remember the incident. It was not until Wenbo saw an eight-year-old Bryant that the two began their affiliation. During that encounter Wenbo told Bryant she had a lot of potential and told the diver’s mom to put her into diving classes. On her ninth birthday, Bryant’s classes began.
Not until Bryant was a freshman in high school did she take a giant step to improve her diving. After one semester her freshman year, the Gopher diver decided to go to Purdue University to train with none other than Wenbo. For the next year and a half Bryant attended two different high schools before moving to Indianapolis to train with Wenbo and USA Diving.
But the move separated her family. Nearly a four-hour drive from Indianapolis to Springfield, Ill., Bryant and her mother made the drive almost every weekend to see her dad and siblings.
“When you want something so bad and you’re just dedicated, you’ll do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be,” Bryant said. “I was lucky enough that my parents were willing to sacrifice.”
During her junior year of high school Bryant made another sacrifice to become home schooled so that she could train more with Wenbo at the National Training Center. Ultimately the sacrifices paid off and Bryant made it to the Olympics with her longtime coach by her side.
After the pair said goodbye at the Olympics it was time for the Olympic diver to begin her college career. Following in her sister’s footsteps, Bryant went to the University of Miami. However, the experience did not last long as Bryant left after only a semester at Miami. Citing safety concerns, Bryant and her family decided the best thing for her to do was return to the familiarity of the National Training Center and Wenbo.
During his time at the National Training Center, Wenbo thought about a change from USA Diving because he said a lack of full support hindered him from doing his job to its fullest. At the same time, Minnesota’s diving coach Jason Baumann resigned, leaving the door open for Wenbo’s return to college coaching.
“Before I went to the National Training Center I had my personal goal and I wanted to go to the Olympic Games and after 2008 I had achieved my goal already,” Wenbo said. “If I go back to college and I have the high level divers like a Kelci, I still have a chance to go to the Olympic Games, but I don’t have so many responsibilities on my shoulders.”
Naturally Bryant followed Wenbo to Minnesota, even without touring the campus. Instead, the Gopher diver said Wenbo convinced her to come based upon having a college experience. And so far Bryant said her experience at Minnesota has been a good one with joyful interactions between her and her new teammates.
“I love the girls. I don’t know, but ever since I came here they just all seemed to be really nice from the beginning,” Bryant said. “I really appreciate that. Coming to a new place, it’s really hard.”
Deciding to go to a school without taking a visit is a huge leap for someone. However, Bryant has a trust in Wenbo that many only have with their family. So, transferring to Minnesota was a small step for Kelci.
“It seems like I’m a member of her family,” Wenbo said. “If they have some concern they call me. I communicate with her parents all the time.”
Trusting one another is a huge benefit for two during training and competitions. Whether it be Wenbo having Kelci do flips off a trampoline in practice or work on her takeoffs, Bryant said she knows Wenbo can make her the best diver she can be. While some people may describe Wenbo’s style of coaching as tough, Bryant sees it as something that compliments her training mentality.
“I think especially at an elite level you really have to have a certain connection with someone. You have to be able to have good communication between them. It definitely takes a long time to build up that relationship with a coach,” Bryant said. “He knows me. He knows the way I train. What to expect of me if I’m tired or what to expect of me if I’m tapered for a meet. He just knows me inside and out as a diver and as a person.”
It will not take long for Gopher fans to recognize the faces of Wenbo and Bryant this season. With Olympic experience and goals of NCAA titles for Minnesota, Bryant looks prime to help out the swimming and diving team this year. Her Olympic résumé shows she can do it and having Wenbo at her side again does not hurt either.
Story written by University of Minnesota Athletic Communications Student Assistant Alex Van Lepp
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