BY LEON IMBER
The pair of Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen have taken bronze in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard final to give Great Britain their first medal of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Chinese duo Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani won gold in the event, with USA’s Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook claiming silver.
Team GB have secured their first medal of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard final.
British pair Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen dropped as low as sixth by the third round, but recovered with an excellent fourth round – scoring 71.10 – to claim bronze, while Australia, who looked set for the podium, suffered a poor final dive to allow Team GB a route back in.
It is an historic medal for Great Britain, with it being the team’s first medal in women’s diving for 64 years. It is also Team GB’s first-ever medal in the women’s synchronised event.
The British duo scored 50.40 on their opening dive, matching the low difficulty of their counterparts, and finished second in the opening round, behind China.
GB slipped to third in the second round while USA and Australia began to show signs of strength.
And a poor third round from Harper and Mew Jensen put their medal hopes under threat as they slipped to sixth. They needed both a strong fourth round and a blunder from Australia to come back into the reckoning, and that was exactly how it transpired.
The GB duo, who also won bronze at the World Aquatic Championships in February, delivered a stunning fourth dive scoring 71.10. They had 12 points to make up on third-placed Australia, with USA and China seemingly out of sight.
Australia duo Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith looked set for a podium finish until a seismic mistake on the final dive sunk them to fifth, with Team GB assuming their podium spot.
Harper and Mew Jensen were tearful as they claimed the historic medal, becoming Britain’s first athletes to podium at this year’s Olympic Games.
Yani and Yiwen continued their country’s early Olympic fortune with the gold medal. China also claimed the first gold of the Paris Olympic Games in the 10m air rifle mixed team shooting event earlier on Saturday.
The Chinese duo displayed five impeccable dives, leading throughout each of the five rounds – truly in sync throughout the morning session, leading from the front of the pack, and did not allow the progression in difficulty to alter their synergy and entry.
USA pair Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook took the silver medal.
Source: eurosport.com