For the first time in 20 years, Team GB has a medal on the first day of the Olympic competition schedule, as Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen secured Great Britain’s first ever medal in the Women’s 3m Synchro event.
The British pair secured Great Britain’s Olympic quota spot in the Women’s 3m Synchro when they dived to a historic silver at last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, following that up with bronze in Doha at the World Championships of February this year.
Now in their maiden Games together – Mew Jensen having competed in the individual three years ago in Tokyo – they opened the diving programme in the purpose built Olympic Aquatics Centre as the third pairing in the dive order of the Women’s 3m Synchro competition.
The British duo made a composed start with their Back Dive Pike (201B) awarded 50.40 points as they started on par with the leading medal contenders through the required dives.
An over rotation on entry in their third round Forward 2½ Somersaults 1 Twist Pike (5152B) was penalised by the judges, but Harper and Mew Jensen reacted well to produce their best dive of the contest in the following round – scoring 71.10 for their Inward 2½ Somersaults Pike (405B) effort.
Closing with another strong 70 plus point dive in the fifth and final round lifted the British pair into bronze medal position on a total of 302.28 behind China and the USA, however with five nations still to dive it left a nervous wait to know their podium fate.
Anything can happen in diving, and a misplaced final dive from the Australian pair who had been expected to leapfrog into the medals meant no further changes to the standing of top three nations on the leaderboard, confirming Harper and Mew Jensen’s historic medal moment.
“We’re so excited, and so pleased with ourselves. We came into this event knowing that this is what we want but we had to stand on the boards today and deliver and I’m so proud that we were able to do that this morning.” said Yasmin
“I’m very much lost for words, a month ago I didn’t know I was going to be able to be here with a partial back fracture, so to be up on the boards and to come away with this medal I just can’t imagine anything better.” Scarlett added,
“Obviously the first optional [dive] set us back a bit, we knew that we needed two really good ones after that – but you have to stay focused, it’s never over until it’s over and we proved that today.”
Acknowledging the moment of history they’ve produced, Yasmin continued: “It’s been a bit of a thing that the girls haven’t had a medal in so many years, so coming in today we really wanted to put our best foot forwards and show what we can do. To come away with the first medal in so long in women’s diving is incredible, and to be the first British medallists of this Games is crazy.
“Our families have been so supportive to us throughout the years and we can’t thank them enough, and of course we have to thank the National Lottery and players for supporting us and providing all the things that we need in our sporting career.”
Paying tribute the coaches that have guided their journey to an Olympic podium, Scarlett commented:
“I want to thank both our coaches, both Tom [Owens] and Jane [Figueiredo] have been incredible. I said to Yas when we found out we had the bronze all I was thinking about was Dave [Jenkins], I know he would be so proud of us to be Olympic medallists and I want to thank him as wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for him.”
With matching nails prepared for their competition, the pair were asked if a new set would be on the way to commemorate their bronze medal.
“Yas is the nail technician, we’ve gone Union Jack on the thumb and crazy 3D art on the others with some gems for a bit of sparkle today – she’s very talented!” said Scarlett.
“I think we’re going to have these on for a while because they are now the lucky ones, and our most out there [design] yet.” concluded Yasmin, who celebrates her birthday tomorrow.
Yasmin Harper will resume her Olympic competition in the Women’s 3m Springboard on Wednesday 7th August, while you can find details of all the upcoming aquatics action from Paris 2024 through our What’s On? Page.
Where can I watch?
The BBC will be covering the majority of the Games across BBC One and Two, the BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer. You can find their coverage schedule by clicking here.
Discovery+/Eurosport will also be broadcasting every minute of the Olympic Games but these channels require a subscription fee.