For the first time in Olympic diving history, Team USA produced a medal-winning duo in the women’s 10M Synchro Platform as former Indiana All-American Jessica Parratto and teammate Delaney Schnell won silver on Tuesday morning at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Current Hoosier Andrew Capobianco and IU alumnus Mike Hixon also secured silver medals on the 3M Synchro Springboard early on Wednesday morning.
The Hoosiers have now won 20 silvers at the Olympics. IU athletes have also produced 57 golds and 33 bronze medals. The Hoosiers have collected at least one medal in each of the last three nights of action from Tokyo.
WOMEN’S 10M SYNCHRO PLATFORM
The dynamic duo of Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell, who qualified for a spot on the Olympic roster after only training together a few short weeks, scored 310.80 points through the five-dive set to secure the silver medal.
The tandem saved their best for last, crushing three-straight dives north of 70 points to close out the set. Parratto and Schnell stuck a Back 2½ Somersault 1½ Twist (5253B) for 78.72 points on the final attempt. Each of the eight nations completed the same dive in the last round with Team China (gold, 363.78 points) being the only team to outscore Team USA’s effort.
Entering the Tokyo Olympics, the best finish for a US platform synchro team was fifth (Jenny Keim and Laura Wilkinson in 2000; Mary Beth Dunnichay and Haley Ishimatsu in 2008) and no American team had ever won a medal. The medal earned by Parratto is the first of her career and the first obtained by a Hoosier in the event.
MEN’S 3M SYNCHRO SPRINGBOARD
Two-time defending 3M NCAA Champion Andrew Capobianco and 2016 Rio silver medalist Mike Hixon steadily improved on each of their six dives to secure a silver medal in the men’s 3M Synchro Springboard event with 444.36 points.
Team US has medaled in three-straight Olympic Games. Troy Dumias and Kristian Ipsen earned bronze in 2012 before Hixon and Sam Dorman won silver in 2016.
The Hoosier duo scored 99 total points through the first two rounds before ripping off four-straight 80-point dives to close out the competition. The highlight of the morning came in the final round when the pair hit 88.92 points on a Forward 4½ Somersaults Tuck (109C) to lock up the second spot on the podium.
MEN’S 800m FREESTYLE RELAY
The American 800m Freestyle Relay team finished fourth with a time of 7:02.43. Kieran Smith gave Team US the lead after his opening leg of 1:44.74 before giving way to Drew Kibler. The Carmel, Ind., native clocked a 1:45.51 split before turning over the rights to Zach Apple. He turned in a split of 1:47.31. Townley Haas closed out the relay with a 1:44.87 anchor leg for the fourth-place finish.
Two-time gold medalist Blake Pieroni swam the anchor leg of the preliminary heat to help get Team US into the final.
The result marks the first time in Olympic history that the US men did not medal in the event.
Rising Hoosier sophomore Tomer Frankel competed in the preliminary heats of the Israeli 800m Freestyle Relay team that finished 10th overall with a time of 7:08.65. The seven-time All-American handled the third leg of the race and turned in a split of 1:48.19.
MEN’S 100m FREESTYLE
Apple advanced to the semifinals in the 100m Freestyle on the strength of a 48.16 in the preliminary heats. He was not able to advance into the finals despite dropping his time down to 48.04. The former Indiana All-American finished 11th overall.
Indiana alumnus Ali Khalafalla tied for 30th in the event with a time of 49.31 for Team Egypt.
MEN’S 800m FREESTYLE
Egypt’s Marwan Elkamash finished 16th overall in the men’s 800m Freestyle out of the preliminary heats with a time of 7:52.76. Competing in his first Olympic event, rising junior Michael Brinegar placed 17th in the event with a time of 7:53.00. Both swimmers will be back to compete in the prelims of the 1500m Freestyle at 6:50 a.m. ET on July 30.
FINAL RESULTS
WOMEN’S 10M SYNCHRO PLATFORM
- Jessica Parratto – 310.80 (SILVER)
MEN’S 100m FREESTYLE
- Zach Apple – 48.04 (48.16 in heats)
t-30. Ali Khalafalla – 49.31
MEN’S 800m FREESTYLE
- Marwan Elkamash – 7:52.76
- Michael Brinegar – 7:53.00
MEN’S 800m FREESTYLE RELAY
- Kieran Smith, Drew Kibler, Zach Apple, Townley Haas (Blake Pieroni) – 7:02.43
- Denis Loktev, Daniel Namir, Tomer Frankel, Gal Cohen Groumi – 7:08.65
MEN’S 3M SYNCHRO SPRINGBOARD
- Andrew Capobianco and Mike Hixon – 444.36 (SILVER)
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Indiana will be back in the pool in a few short hours with heats of both the women’s 200m Breaststroke (Lilly King and Annie Lazor) and the men’s 200m IM (Vini Lanza). Swimming is set to kick off at 6:45 a.m. ET.
