TUCSON, Ariz. — In less than 100 days, over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries will meet in Paris to compete in the Olympic games.
It's an ultimate privilege to represent your native country and Tucson native and former UArizona wildcat Delaney Schnell is one of the rare few to compete in the Olympic games twice!
"It's all such a whirlwind," Schnell said. "It's so hard to describe the feelings. I don't even remember standing on the podium and it went by in such a blur and I wish I could relive the moment. This time around, it's just trying to go back and maybe do the same thing."
Schnell previously competed in the women's diving competition in Tokyo in 2021, and she's kept busy with her training until the games kick off in late July.
Schnell competed in tandem with her partner, Jessica Parrato, after her previous partner was injured three weeks before the trials. While Parrato's involvement was a last-minute call, it wasn't enough to divert the diving pair as they proudly made it to the podium with silver over their suits.
"I'm hoping to qualify for the women's 10m individual and women's 10m synchro. We just got that Olympic spot, so it was exciting to get to debut that synchro again on the world stage together," she said.
Yet the road to her success wasn't in her plans early on. In fact, Schnell was a gymnast until 9 years old when she wanted to pivot in a new direction which eventually led her to the diving platform.
"I had a coach come and ask me if I wanted to go to the Olympics," Schnell said. "Is that something I would like to do? I was like yeah that is something I would like to shoot for, so it became a reality when I started traveling internationally at a young age."
But to start, Schnell was terrified at the sight of the 10-meter diving platform.
"I actually was initially like no, I can't do that, it's too scary for me," Schnell said. "My first couple of weeks diving I wouldn't even jump off the 10 meter, because I jumped off the 5-meter platform, which is in between, and I put my arms out and smacked my arms and was like I am not doing that again. It's just so funny because now it's the event I ended up being really good at."
Really good, indeed. Schnell will be competing once again in the 10m platform synchro, the same event in which she medaled during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
It's a sport that demands extreme attention to detail. Schnell said it is the most important piece to be successful and requires dozens of hours of training per week.
"As little as the timing of the come out, you have to try to see the spot and be able to react at the right time," Schnell said. "Also trying to remember not to go to your hands too early, all these little details."
Details that Schnell hopes will lead her to another Olympic medal, this time, of the Gold variety. But with it all will come a new perspective and less pressure than her first time representing the USA.
"It's nice to go into the next Olympic cycle and not feel the pressure to have to do it again because we've already done it," Schnell said. "My mindset is more just try to enjoy it this time around and see what happens. "What happens, happens."
More than a dozen athletes from Arizona will be competing in the games and while it's uncertain if Schnell will find herself on the podium again, she said will not forget to embrace each moment and each dive along the way.
"It's just such an unbelievable feeling to feel that adrenaline and hear the crowd, be with the crowd, it's exhilarating," Schnell said. "Every diver strives for those moments in the pool and you hit the dive and the crowd goes crazy."
For the first time in Summer Olympic Games history, the ceremony is taking place outside of the stadium. It will be held along the banks of the Seine River, which cuts through the heart of Paris.
This year will be the sixth time the country has hosted the Olympic games. It has been 100 years since the last time the country’s capital hosted.
The opening ceremony will be held on July 26 at sunset.
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