More than two dozen current and former Arizona Wildcats athletes qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And Delaney Schnell will be the first to bring home a medal.
Schnell and teammate Jessica Parratto earned the silver medal in the women’s synchronized diving 10-meter platform competition on Monday night (Tuesday afternoon in Japan), earning the United States its first-ever medal in the event.
The dynamic diving duo makes history!@JessicaParratto & Delaney Schnell record @USADiving‘s first-ever medal in the women’s synchronized 10m platform. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/eidjvadcNG
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 27, 2021
The 22-year-old Schnell, a Tucson High graduate who was named Pac-12 Diver of the Year after winning two conference titles and finishing second in the NCAA meet in the platform dive, and Parratto, a 27-year-old Indiana alum, shook off a slow start to rise up the standings after each dive.
Team USA was seventh out of eight teams after its first dive, moving to sixth after the second, fourth after the third and then second after the fourth. A team-best 78.72 on the final dive assured a second-place finish, beating bronze medalist Mexico by more than 11 points.
China claimed gold for the seventh time in as many occasions that the event has been held at the Olympics, winning by nearly 53 points.
Schnell, who is eligible to return to the UA for the 2021-22 season, also qualified for the Olympics in the 10-meter platform.
#Tucson‘s #DelaneySchnell takes to 10m platform tonight with partner #JessicaParratto in women’s #synchronizeddiving event. I asked her how her partnership with Parratto came together. She was initially jumping with #TarynGilliland.#TokyoOlympics #Tokyo2020 #BearDownArizona pic.twitter.com/ca9dE8D8ij
— David Kelly (@DavidKellyKVOA) July 27, 2021