Three-time Olympian Julia Vincent is safely through to the semi-finals of the women’s 3m springboard diving competition at the 2024 Paris Games.
The 29-year-old – she turns 30 next week – arrived in Paris on the back of some of the best form of her career, while also vowing to soak up the Olympic experience. “My first Olympics (Rio 2016) I was still very much a little baby. I didn’t feel as though I belonged. That changed five years later when I worked my way to, and was selected to represent Team SA in Tokyo. The result didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but I still felt I was good enough to be there.
“Now, coming to Paris, I have a lot more joy for the sport than before. Since the last Olympics a lot went on in my life and I changed coaches and after my last coach retired I found a new one. Just being part of a new team and training methods has brought new joy into the sport that I love so much,” she said on the eve of her competition.
She took to the board at the Aquatics Centre, opposite the Stade de France, and qualified comfortably in 13th place – the top 18 progressed to the semi-finals – with a total score of 283.50 points.
In terms of the judges her third dive, a reverse 2-and-a-half somersault pike, was her best and she scored 63.00 points. Her opening effort, an inward 2-and-a-half somersault pike, had helped settle any nerves she had, and quickly got her into the top 10.
“The prelim is always the hardest round for me. That’s where I find I feel most of my nerves,” said Vincent. “Today I just listened to some music. I have a wedding next year, so I was just looking. I was like planning my wedding. I was looking at like things on Pinterest. And I just it’s fun for me. It takes my mind completely off the you know, the competition and it makes me happy. So that’s what I was doing today. Sometimes I play games. It just depends on the day.
I felt very, very nervous this morning and then I came out with warm up and I felt pretty good. I’m really just trying to have a great time like this. This is my main goal is to have a great time and really stay present and just take it one dive at a time.”
She is back on the board on Thursday morning.
Photo: ANTON GEYSER/Team SA