LONDON -- Former Arizona State diver and five-time All-American Constantin Blaha competed in the 1-meter springboard final at the 2016 European Championships in London on Tuesday, placing third for a bronze medal.
The 402.55 finish made him the first Austrian male diver to podium in the event since 1987 -- before he was born. Blaha has been training in Tempe with former head coach Mark Bradshaw as he prepares for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
"It's a very big deal because it’s a first for him," said Bradshaw. "He will compete Thursday in the 3-meter event, which is the event he qualified in for Rio this summer. He has been diving very well so I expect him to final and have a great chance at the podium."
Rio will be the second Olympics Blaha will compete in after making the Austrian team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Blaha graduated from ASU in 2012 with a 3.57 GPA in Business Communications and finished his career as back-to-back Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic.
Other former and current Devils are also competing at the European Championships, including Pac-12 All-Century diver Mickey Benedetti, and current sophomores Mara Aiacoboae and Heikki Makikallio.
Benedetti has qualified for Rio for his home country of Italy for the second-straight Olympics. He will compete in the 3-meter event as well alongside Blaha.
Aiacoboae and Makikallio will both compete off the 10-meter platform -- their primary event. Aiacoboae placed second in both 2009 and 2011, while Makikallio will be making his first-ever appearance.
"The European Aquatics Championships are a very big deal for Europeans with lots of pride on the line," said Bradshaw. "However, for the sport of diving it usually doesn’t have a bearing on an Olympic berth."
Look for Aiacoboae and Makikallio during the Sun Devils 2016-17 swimming and diving season.