Great Britain had not earned an Olympic medal in women’s diving since 1960, nor had Team GB secured a medal on the opening day of the Games since 2004.
However, Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen made history in the Paris pool on Saturday by winning an outstanding bronze medal, thanks in part to a mishap from their Australian competitors.
Entering the fifth and final round of dives in the synchronised three-metre springboard final, the British duo was in fourth place. Their chances of medaling hinged on a significant mistake by Australia. And that’s precisely what happened.
In cricketing terms, it was akin to Nathan Lyon dropping a catch that could have dismissed Jack Leach in Headingley during 2019. In diving, it was a major blunder.
Anabelle Smith lost her footing on the springboard as she launched, resulting in her somersaulting in the opposite direction to her partner Maddison Keeney. This led to a subpar score of 45.48, finishing them in fifth place, when they needed at least 58.68 to surpass Team GB for a podium finish.
Yasmin Harper (left) and Scarlett Mew Jensen (right) earned bronze in the women’s 3m synchronised diving event.
This achievement marked Team GB’s first medal of the Paris Olympics, ending a medal drought on the first official day since 2004.
The pair savoured the moment on a stunning morning for British diving.
China claimed gold, with the USA taking the silver ahead of Team GB.
This morning marked a milestone for Harper and Mew Jensen as they secured Team GB’s first women’s diving medal in 64 years.
‘I screamed underwater,’ Smith lamented, wiping her tears into a towel as she exited the pool. Meanwhile, joy and disbelief washed over the Team GB duo as they processed their remarkable achievement.
‘We knew that Australia had to falter,’ Mew Jensen reflected. ‘For that to actually happen was shocking because it’s a dive they’re accustomed to. It’s surreal. I can’t quite wrap my head around it right now. It feels like a dream come true.’
Mew Jensen only teamed up with Harper early last year after her former synchro partner Desharne Bent-Ashmeil was sidelined due to injury. Within months, they clinched a silver at the World Championships and followed it up with a bronze in February of this year.
Their triumph in the opening diving event of Paris 2024 was even more astonishing considering Mew Jensen had just recovered from a back fracture.
‘About three months ago, I fractured my back,’ Mew Jensen shared, noting that she placed 22nd in her individual event at Tokyo 2020. ‘I didn’t think I’d even make it here. I only had my first rehearsal just a month ago. But I returned, and this outcome couldn’t be more perfect.’
Not only were Mew Jensen and Harper in perfect harmony on the springboard, but they also sported matching nail art – a Union Jack on their thumbs, complemented by vibrant 3D designs adorned with gems on their fingers.
‘Yaz is the nail artist,’ Mew Jensen explained, acknowledging a ritual they’ve maintained for each competition. ‘She’s incredibly talented! She even brought her own tools. It’s the Salon de Yazzy B.’
Despite their dazzling appearance, the British duo struggled initially with their dives. An over-rotation in their third round was penalised by the judges, dropping them to sixth place. However, they rebounded strong with two excellent dives scoring over 70, applying the pressure back on the Australians.
Tom Daley was seen knitting in the audience, a practice he continued from Tokyo, while keeping a watchful eye on the competition.
His crafting result? A knitted jumper with ‘Daley’ stitched onto the back.
After their rivals faltered, Mew Jensen and Harper became the first British women to secure an Olympic diving medal since Elizabeth Ferris did so on the same 3m springboard 64 years ago.
‘It’s been quite some time since the girls have won a medal,’ Harper remarked, celebrating her 24th birthday on Sunday. ‘We really wanted to showcase our abilities today. Winning the first medal in women’s diving after so many years is just incredible.’
Diving was also the sport in which Team GB last earned a medal on the opening day of an Olympics, courtesy of Pete Waterfield and Leon Taylor, who interestingly was on commentary duty at the Aquatics Centre on Saturday.
‘It’s remarkable that it’s within the same sport,’ Harper noted. ‘I hail from Sheffield Diving, as does Leon, which adds an extra layer of coolness. To proclaim ourselves as the first medallists of the Games feels absolutely phenomenal.’
