BUENOS AIRES 2018: Today, Jessica Pickering won Australia's first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) individual trampoline medal, after a strong performance in both her qualifiers and final.
The elated 17-year-old said making the finals was incredible, but winning a medal was a dream come true.
“It’s so amazing, I wasn’t expecting to get on to the podium at all, but to grab the silver medal as well was absolutely incredible.
“Getting into the finals was such an achievement already, so anything else was just a bonus, and medalling was just a massive bonus I never could have expected. I just couldn’t believe it, I definitely shed a few tears,” she said.
Pickering qualified second of 12, easing her way into the finals and maintaining her form, spurred on by family and friends in the stands.
“Having my family here is amazing. They’ve come all this way to support me, so it really means so much to look up and see the Aussie flag waving, the bright yellow shirts and hearing them cheering out my name,” she said.
The Newcastle local accrued a score of 51.645, behind China’s Xinyi Fan at 52.560 and while Pickering is known for her amazing aerial feats, she is also known for her pre-competition dance offs with her coach, Brett Austine.
“Brett and I have a bit of a ritual that we do, dancing on the floor together and having a good time, just making the most of the experience and shaking off all the nerves!”
Pickering’s trampolining teammate, Liam Christie, who won a team gold medal earlier in the week, also competed in his individual final, ending his campaign in seventh place up against an incredibly tough group of competitors.
“Making it into the finals was a huge achievement for me, and more than I had ever hoped for,” Christie said.
“Just competing at these Games was such a dream come true, but to be able to qualify for finals and compete against some insanely tough competitors was just an absolutely incredible experience,” he continued.
“Competing at the YOG has been extremely different to any competition I’ve ever done before. The standard has been a lot tougher and being up against the best means no room for error.
“There’s also a different environment surrounding these Games. I love the amazing support we were receiving from not just the Aussies but the locals too!”
The YOG continues until 18 October 2018, you can tune in to the Live Stream HERE.
Liana Buratti
olympics.com.au
