World silver medallists Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe were named today by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as Team GB’s sole artistic swimmers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The duet, set to compete at their second Olympics, were announced at the SEA LIFE London Aquarium.
Their historic performances at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha secured Britain’s quota spot in the Olympic artistic swimming duet events.
Their silver medal in the Tech Duet and bronze in the Free Duet marked Britain’s first-ever global duet medals in artistic swimming.
Following their Olympic debut in Tokyo, where they placed 14th, Shortman and Thorpe have become one of the leading international duos in the sport.
Their achievements include a European medal for Team GB at the European Games in Poland and gold at the Olympic test event.
The Olympic Tech Duet session in Paris is scheduled for Friday, August 9th, with the Free Duet final – when medals are decided – the following day on Saturday, August 10th.
Mark England, Team GB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, praised the duo’s progress since their Olympic debut, highlighting their qualification for the Paris Games and recent successes.
Aquatics GB Artistic Swimming Manager Karen Thorpe expressed excitement at the selection, emphasizing their potential as medal contenders.
Both athletes expressed their excitement about the upcoming Games. Izzy Thorpe eagerly anticipates swimming in front of friends and family, aiming to make them proud. Kate Shortman, thrilled about the Paris selection, emphasizes their heightened determination fueled by their experience from Tokyo.
The dedication and hard work of Shortman and Thorpe, spanning a lifetime, aim to bring medals back from the Games, inspiring the next generation of artistic swimming athletes.