Isabelle Thorpe and Kate Shortman gave it absolutely everything but in the end it was not quite enough to reach the final of the artistic swimming at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The Bristol pair finished 14th overall after a determined effort in the technical routine, moving up one spot after Monday’s free, with just the top 12 qualifying for the final.
And for Shortman, the duo could not have done anything more, even if it was not quite enough to get through.
She said: “It was such an emotional performance. We went out and left everything in the pool, we gave everything we could and we’re super happy with both of our swims.
“There are no words to sum up the journey and how this has just been the cherry on top of everything.”
Thorpe added: “We did really well, we got a better score in our tech than in our free which is a bit unheard of, but that shows we’ve been working a lot on our elements in our technical routine.
“It’s the most important competition we’ve done, but we’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a really special thing and we should carry that into other competitions and really enjoy swimming, because it shows in our routines. The judges can see when we’re enjoying it.”
Aged 19 and 20 respectively, Shortman and Thorpe have made an impression and are hoping that it will be attract more people to the sport.
Thorpe added: “I hope it inspires young girls, whether that be in artistic swimming or another sport, because sport is really important for everyone. We think as many young people as possible, and especially girls, should get into it.
“It’s so important for your mental health as well as your physical health, and a lot of us have experienced that during lockdown. For us sport helped us get through that and I would advise as many young people as possible to get involved.”
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