EXCLUSIVE: Olympic Diver David Boudia Talks Training With Synchro Partner Thomas Finchum

When divers David Boudia and Thomas Finchum participate in the synchronized events at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, they will be as close as any two partners can get, but when they compete against each other in the individual 10-meter platform, Boudia and Finchum will be sworn adversaries.

Boudia discussed navigating the waters of the "teammate versus opponent" conflict in our exclusive video interview. "Before 2008, Thomas and I trained together for I want to say five or six years, and just having him as a teammate is encouraging to know that I have someone who is supporting me the entire way," Boudia began, "but it’s also interesting that he is my competitor."

Boudia added that his and Finchum's training and diving styles produce more harmony than conflict — a fact that became increasingly clear after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they were just shy of winning a medal for the U.S. team. "We had a really good dynamic kind of breaking off," he said. "We’re still really good friends and that whole relationship, and Thomas is just a good guy who helps and encourages you."

Watch the interview with David Boudia here: