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A third product of Indiana’s swimming and diving program has stepped onto the medal stand in Tokyo.
This time it’s Jessica Parratto, who won silver with her partner Delaney Schnell in the women’s 10-meter synchronized platform diving event on Tuesday. Parratto and Schnell ended with 310.80 points, trailing the Chinese team that totaled 363.78 points to seize gold. Mexico’s duo grabbed bronze with 299.70 points.
Not only was it a milestone achievement for Parratto, who finished seventh in the event alongside IU alumna Amy Cozad during the Rio games five years ago, but it was a history-making achievement for the United States. Prior to Tuesday, no American duo had medaled in the event.
What’s more, the feat is all the more impressive when you consider the unique and relatively new partnership between Parratto and Schnell. From the Associated Press:
Parratto and Schnell were competing for just the third time together, having teamed suddenly at the U.S. trials after Schnell’s partner got hurt.
“Jess and I just ended up making it work,” Schnell said. “Took a lot of faith in each other, a lot of trust in each other that paid off.”
They each had past success on their own. Schnell was the bronze medalist in individual platform at the world championships in 2019. Parratto was seventh in the same event at the Rio Games.
In 2016, Parratto earned a berth in Rio by beating Schnell and her partner at trials. No hard feelings, though.
You can watch Parratto and Schnell compete below:
Parratto is the fourth Hoosier to earn Olympic hardware, following Blake Pieroni and Zach Apple winning gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay and Lilly King taking bronze in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. IU’s next opportunity to medal could come Tuesday night when Apple competes in the men’s 100-meter freestyle.