It's been a long wait for Sarah Barrow to make her Rio 2016 bow in more ways than one – but after patiently keeping her head down and working hard the Plymouth diver is ready to make a statement.
Barrow and fellow Plymouth diver Tonia Couch take to the 10m platform at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre today looking to progress from the individual preliminary round into tomorrow’s semi-finals and final.
While Couch has already been in action in Rio – finishing fifth in the 10m synchronized platform final alongside Lois Toulson last week - this will be a first appearance for Barrow on day 12 of the Games.
After finishing fifth in the synchro with Couch back in London, Barrow would no doubt have imagined herself going again in the same event in Rio.
But that was before two years of struggle came along with first a non cancerous tumour taken from her calf before she was then diagnosed with shin fractures – all of which left her battling for fitness.
It was a challenge that even left her questioning her future in the sport but after winning her fight to make it onto the team, albeit just in the individual, the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy every minute.
“I'm really excited for being at the Games. Last time I did it in synchro, this time I've kind of done it by myself,” said Barrow, who until today has been balancing training with taking on the role of cheerleader for the rest of the team.
“It's quite a proud moment to get there individually.
“I am looking to get into that Olympic final so I’ve been working even harder than I did before trials and hoping to get into that Olympic final.
“It’s nice for it to go your way all the time so when it doesn’t, it does make you really upset.
“A few times I didn’t want to dive anymore, it was that upsetting. I didn’t want to put myself in that position where I was coming to training upset all the time.
“I was having conversations with the British diving saying that maybe I’m not as good as they think I can be.
“But I like to think I’m a strong person and I flipped it all around and told myself I am a good diver and I can show that I should be at those Olympic Games.”
Sportsbeat 2016