Cook and Bacon Win Olympic Silver in Synchronized 3-Meter

PARIS – Kassidy Cook (The Woodlands, Texas/Minneapolis, Minn.) and Sarah Bacon (Indianapolis, Ind./Minneapolis) won the first medal for Team USA at the Paris Olympic Games after coming away with silver in women’s synchronized 3-meter on Saturday.

China’s Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen scored 337.68 for gold, while Cook and Bacon 314.64 for the silver. Great Britain’s Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen took bronze at 302.28.

Cook and Bacon were in second place through most of the competition, but less than a point separated them from Australia heading into the last round. The American pair dove first and scored 70.20 points on their final dive, a front 2 ½ with one twist. From there, it was a waiting game.

“I trusted (Cook) in her diving, so when I hit the water, I was like, ‘We did it. We definitely are going to be on that award podium.’ We just didn’t know what color. But I knew after that last dive it was going to be a medal of some sort,” Bacon said.

The Australian team missed their last dive and finished fifth, with Great Britain moving into the bronze medal spot.

“I'm so overwhelmed with emotion and overcome with these feelings. To be able to reach this goal that I've had since I was three years old and this goal that we've had as a synchro team for over five years, just feels amazing. I mean, no words to describe it,” Cook said.

After years of battling injuries, including a shoulder injury for Cook in 2021 that hindered their chances of making the Tokyo team, the duo finally saw their Olympic dreams come true in Paris.

“I think everything that we've been through as individuals and as a team, injuries, heartbreak, coming so close to reaching our goals but falling short, has only made this moment sweeter. And to be able to share it together means everything in the world,” Cook said.

Bacon had planned to step away from diving after 2021, but not making the Olympic team kept the thought of Paris in the back of her mind.

“We ended up not making the Olympics in 2020, and my plan was to retire after that Olympic Games. I was burnt out and ready to be done. So not making the Olympic team kept me around diving, and it brought me to this Olympic Games with Kassidy. And to be on the award stand with a silver medal is just unbelievable. I have no words to describe it right now,” Bacon said.