USA Olympic Trials storylines to watch: Women's 3M Synchro
Tier 1: Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook. Cook-N-Bacon! If you like crisp, clean, traditional diving, this is the team for you. They have a very common list top to bottom with the other top synchro teams in the world. 201b and 301b as their voluntaries and 405b, 107b, 5152b as their optionals. Widely regarded as the USA’s top 3m diver, Sarah is still looking for that first Olympic birth. She has the precision and intensity that seems to be perfect on the biggest stage. Kassidy Cook has vibrant way of keeping the team light but still focused. She has had a few injuries pop up here and there but is in great form heading into Trials. Mario and Luigi, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cook-N-Bacon. As a team Sarah and Kassidy have all the pieces to come out on top to represent the United States in Paris.
Alison Gibson and Krysta Palmer. If we’re ranking the teams it’s 1A and 1B. Different flavors but among the best in the world. Alison and Krysta represented the USA in the Tokyo and finished in 8th place. Their list is a little different than the standard mentioned above. They start with 401b and 301b as their voluntaries and come home with 205b, 107b, and 5154b. Most of the top synchro teams prefer having their optionals finish where they can see the water, see their hands, able to find that line up with visual ques. Having a 205b makes things very exciting because it’s different. I’m absolutely here for it! Many times, lists are all so similar it turns into an execution comparison for the judges. To go along with 205b their final dive 5154b is the most difficult in the contest. Not many women in the world are doing this dive let alone synchro! This dive gives them the opportunity to have something big if they need it. After our conversation with Alison, she learned so many things from Tokyo that my confidence in this team is sky high. Krysta continues to dive incredibly well representing the USA at many international meets. As a team, they would also represent the USA well in Paris should they come out on top.
Tier 2: Samantha Pickens and Kyndal Knight. Both ladies out of college but continuing to train for trials at the chance of an Olympic journey. If you were to watch Samantha or Kyndal at any pool you would be impressed with everything. They have the dives, the technique, and can rip. They have been training for a while and continue to improve as we gear up for Trials. The team is poised for a top finish and if things fall their way, they could make the contest very interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing them dive again. As mentioned with them no longer in college I don’t get to see them dive as much as we are used to.
Anne Fowler and Carolina Sculti. I would be remiss not to mention Anne and Carolina. Fantastic divers that were at excellent programs. Rinse and repeat everything I said in the conversation as the duo of Pickens/Knight. They will be in the mix as they are among the best in the country.
Ella Roselli and Avery Giese. This is a young and incredibly talented team. I’m very interested in watching them progress. This may not be the Olympics for them but they are absolutely names to watch in 4 years.
Looking ahead to the Olympics, I would be surprised if it was a team other than my Tier 1 options. Frankly, I’d be excited for either to represent the USA in Paris. I think they both pose an excellent threat to take home a medal as each team has shown they can hang with the best at various World events. Cook and Bacon were 2nd at the most recent World cup super-final in Xi’an, China. Gibson and Palmer were 4th at world championships in Doha, Qatar.
Written and submitted by Aaron Rooney