Athletes, coaches and staff are returning from Rio having secured some of the best results aquatics has ever achieved at an Olympic Games.
The swimming team were the stars of the first week of action in Rio as Adam Peaty secured Team GB’s first gold medal in a world time.
Jazz Carlin won two silver medals and also became the first athlete on Team GB to win more than one medal.
The divers impressed the world as well, as they secured bronze in the men’s 10m Synchro and then Jack Laugher and Chris Mears won diving’s first ever Olympic gold medal in the 3m Synchro.
The Game of firsts carried on for the divers as Laugher also won silver in the 3m Springboard and became British diving’s first athlete to ever win more than one medal.
Synchronised Swimmers Olivia Federici and Katie Clark made their return to Olympic action after a break from the sport and made an improvement in the sport’s world rankings which is testament to the hard work of the programme.
The swimmers won a total of six medals while diving won three which meant both sports exceeded their UK Sport medal target.
For Chief Executive David Sparkes the success is down to the right mentality and hard work.
“We are all proud of what the athletes have achieved over in Rio,” Sparkes said. “It’s a testament to the hard work of not only the athletes but also the coaches and support staff and all of this has paid off with phenomenal results.
“I was pleased to see the attitude of athletes that went into competition hungry for success and ready to build on their performances at the European Championships in London and the World Championships in Kazan. Adam Peaty was the epitome of this work ethic and he showed a dominance that truly excited the swimming world.”
Sparkes also believes that the teams have more to give in the future and is excited by the talent coming through.
“We also saw our talented young swimmers achieving final places which is good to see ahead of the Tokyo Olympic cycle and the World Championships in Budapest next year,” Sparkes added.
“Seeing Jack Laugher and Chris Mears win British Diving’s first gold medal was one of the highlights and shows the strength of the diving programme which should lead to success in Tokyo. We know we have great young talent in the programme coming through which will prove exciting for competition for the spots on the team in the future.
“The synchronised swimming team showed great resilience to compete at the level they are at after losing their funding. With dedication and hard work they achieved the results they were looking for.
“Our best ever results are down to hard work and we know we now have to begin the next four years of hard work after a short rest for the teams.”
The summer of sport doesn’t end with the Olympics though as the Paralympic Games kicks off next month and Sparkes expects more success in the Rio pool.
“We now turn our view to the Paralympic swimmers, who will be competing from 7 September, and I know they will have been inspired by the success of our athletes in Rio the last two weeks. It will be tough but I am sure they will do their best and we will be there to witness their success.”