KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sarah Bacon and Alison Gibson will head to Paris to compete in women's 3-meter springboard after claiming the top two spots at the U.S. Olympic diving trials on Saturday.
Carson Tyler also claimed his spot at the Olympics with a victory in the men’s 10-meter platform.
Bacon totaled 639.00 points on the springboard to add a second Olympics event. She had previously secured a spot in synchronized 3-meter with Kassidy Cook.
Gibson was runner-up with 635.10 to qualify for her second Olympics. She competed in synchronized 3-meter at the Tokyo Games.
Krysta Palmer, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in 3-meter, finished third with 629.25 to barely miss returning for that event in Paris.
“We have a lot of very good women’s 3-meter divers in this country. It’s a very deep field," Bacon said. “It’s almost more stressful in the Olympic trials than it is overseas against the other countries I would say, just because there are so many good female divers here in the U.S.”
Gibson scored 70.50 points on her fourth-round dive, a reverse 2 1/2 pike, to take the lead by a tenth of a point over Bacon heading into the last round. Palmer was only 7.45 points out of second.
Palmer scored 69.70 points on a front 2 1/2 with two twists to set the target in the last round. Gibson followed with 68 points on the same dive. Bacon dove last and performed the less difficult front 2 1/2 with one twist and came through with 72 points, the highest-scoring dive by any diver in the final.
“I got myself together, hit my last two dives, and was able to qualify for my second event,” Bacon said. "It feels great. I’m excited to get back to training a little more before Paris and get ready to roll.”
Gibson stepped away from diving after the 2020 Olympic Games. But Palmer — her synchro partner in Tokyo and at these trials — helped persuade her to come back in the fall of 2023.
“Krysta is everything to me," Gibson said. “She literally called me back into this sport. I would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for her. She has played an essential role in helping me grow as a person, as a competitor, as a friend. So much credit to her. This success is her success as well.”
Tyler finished with 965.45 points over two lists of men’s 10-meter dives, including 488.25 in the final to claim his first trip to the Olympics.
“I can’t put it into words, it’s so amazing. All the hard years of training just paid off, and I’m so happy,” the 20-year-old said. “I was trying just to take it step by step, one foot in front of the other and not get too outcome-oriented. I was confident in myself and thought I could make it happen.”
Tyler scored 81.60 or higher on four of his six dives in the finals, including 86.40 on his last dive – a back 2 1/2 with 2 1/2 twists — to clinch his victory. He received 90.75 on a back 3 1/2 tuck that received three 9.5s and three 9.0s from the judges.
Tyler is also in contention to make the Olympic team in men’s 3-meter. He holds second place heading into the final Sunday.
USA Diving will await word on a potential second spot in men’s 10-meter after World Aquatics reallocates its quota numbers. That puts 2020 Olympian Brandon Loschiavo in a position to make the team after he finished second to Tyler with 892.30.
The trials at the University of Tennessee natatorium conclude Sunday, with the women’s 10-meter final also on tap.
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