Daryn Wright headed to Paris Olympics as U.S. picks up another diver spot

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The United States has picked up another diver for the Paris Olympics.

Daryn Wright of Plainfield, Indiana, was added to the team after World Aquatics awarded the Americans a second spot in women’s 10-meter platform.

Wright finished second in that event at the U.S. Olympic trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, last weekend, but an Olympic berth was not guaranteed.

“It has been a long four days, but thankfully it came out on top with the good news,” the 20-year-old Wright said Thursday after learning she was headed to her first Summer Games. “I’m pretty much just shocked right now to say the least. I’m very, very excited and emotional, but very shocked.”

Countries earned guaranteed quota spots with top-12 finishes at the world championships in 2023 and 2024. Delaney Schnell, who finished sixth at the 2023 worlds, topped the 10-meter standings at trials to lock up her trip to Paris.

A maximum of 136 divers can compete in the eight Olympic events — four individual and four synchronized. To fill out the allotment, additional places can be reallocated to the next-highest placing federations from the 2024 world championships that had not yet qualified.

Wright was surprised by friends and family, who delivered the news at the Purdue University pool where she trains. It made up for not getting to experience making the team at trials.

“It was hard because I didn’t necessarily know the odds, if they were good or not, just because it had taken so long to see if we had the second spot,” she said. “My mind was racing in probably every possible direction, but I’m glad today was good.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games