It all started with a playful nudge from Delaney Schnell, Jessica Parratto’s synchronized diving teammate, jokingly encouraging her to come out of retirement.
But what began as a light-hearted jest soon became reality.
“This one,” said Parratto, emphatically pointing at Schnell when asked what led her to come out of retirement. “A couple months of pry. Obviously, it came down to me to decide, and I was happy to come out of retirement just for synchro. It’s such a fun event, and I wanted to give it one more shot with Dee next to me.”
And now, the previously retired athlete finds herself heading to the Paris Olympics with her right-hand man. The pair scored 607.14 points to easily win the women’s 10-meter platform synchronized event Tuesday at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials at the Allen Jones Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
Before the pair even made it out of the water, they squeezed each other tightly as the realization hit them that they’d be Olympic teammates again.
“In sports, you have to expect the unexpected,” Schnell said. “For me, it was a sigh of relief, and now I can go into the individual trials with a breath of fresh air. I know I’ve already made one event, so now I can relax and stay calm.”
“And I can cheer her on!” said Parratto with a joyful giggle.
Schnell is entered in the 10-meter platform Friday, hoping to qualify for two Olympic events in Paris.
For Parratto, being around the water has been ingrained in her since birth. Her father, Mike, was a swimmer at Eastern Illinois University. He went on to have a successful coaching career, with his most notable protégé being Jenny Thompson, a four-time Olympian who won 12 Olympic medals under his guidance.
Parratto’s mother, Amy, was an All-American diver at Wellesley College and coached Delaney until she was 14.
Schnell doesn’t come from a diving family. In fact, she was a gymnast before she even considered diving. That was until she saw her teammates diving and realized gymnastics was not the sport she wanted to pursue anymore.
And the rest was history.
Parratto and Schnell were teammates in Tokyo, where they won silver in the 10-meter event. Parratto also competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she placed seventh in synchronized 10-meter and 10th in the individual event.
They admit the Tokyo Olympics being a rather unique experience. COVID-19 was still highly prevalent, and because of that, spectators were not permitted to attend.
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The duo looks forward to an Olympics where they can look to the stands and see their friends and family cheering them on, motivating them to leave it all on the diving board.
“It’s going to be so exciting,” said Parratto moments after climbing out of the water. “I’ll have my family there, supporting me and watching me. It’ll be an exciting one for sure.”
Kamryn Jackson is a sports intern for Knoxville News-Sentinel. Email @Kamryn.Jackson@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @Kamxjack.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Delaney Schnell, Jessica Parratto win at US Olympic Diving Trials
