Courtesy: Texas Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Former University of Texas star Alison Gibson and partner Krysta Palmer punched their ticket to the Tokyo Olympics by posting a 28-point victory on Thursday evening in the finals of the Women’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving. Gibson and Palmer became the first divers to officially qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team.
Gibson, who competed at Texas from 2017-20 and won the 2017 NCAA individual title on the 1-meter springboard as a freshman, will make her Olympic debut in July. Only the winner in the synchronized events at the U.S. Olympic Trials earns a spot on the roster. The duo will represent Team USA in the event in Tokyo on July 25, with the competition scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. Central.
Gibson and Palmer began Thursday’s finals session with a 26-point cushion over the duo of Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook (594.84-573.39), as scores carried over from Sunday’s preliminary and semifinal rounds. Bacon and Cook trimmed the margin to within 15 points (690.24-675.99) following the second of five rounds in the finals.
Gibson and Palmer tallied a score of 67.50 on their third dive, a back 2 ½ somersault pike (205B), to increase their cushion to 21 points (757.74-736.29). The tandem followed with a score of 70.68 on their fourth dive, a forward 3 ½ somersault pike (107B), to build a 30-point advantage entering the final round (828.42-798.60).
Despite an impressive score of 72.90 by Bacon and Cook on their fifth-round effort, Gibson and Palmer sealed their victory and spot on the U.S. Olympic Team with a score of 71.40 on their final dive, a forward 2 ½ somersault 2 twist pike (5154B). Gibson and Palmer posted a 15-dive total score of 899.82 points, while Bacon and Cook took second (871.50).
Incoming UT freshman Hailey Hernandez and her partner Emily Grund claimed a fourth-place finish in the event with a total score of 784.56 points. Hernandez and Grund, who began the finals in fifth, registered a score of 64.68 on their third dive during Thursday’s session, a back 2 ½ somersault tuck (205C).
Women’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard (Finals)
| Place | Score | Divers Names |
| 1 | 899.82 | Alison Gibson / Krysta Palmer |
| 2 | 871.50 | Sarah Bacon / Kassidy Cook |
| 3 | 804.18 | Samantha Pickens / Carolina Sculti |
| 4 | 784.56 | Hailey Hernandez / Emily Grund |
| 5 | 764.10 | Kristen Hayden / Margo O’Meara |
| 6 | 746.76 | Daria Lenz / Charlye Campbell |
| 7 | 702.90 | Kaylee Bishop / Avery Worobel |