Julia Vincent Looks to Make History in Her Second Olympics Appearance
When Julia Vincent stands on the diving board the Tokyo Olympics, she won’t just be happy to be there. The former South Carolina (2015-2018) diver and South African native is making her second Olympics appearance after also competing at the 2016 games in Rio, and the opportunity to represent her country is as meaningful as ever.
“It definitely doesn’t get old,” said Vincent, who will be competing in the three-meter springboard events. “All the anticipation, the nerves and the excitement are definitely the same as the first time, but this time it’s a little more special because I have my teammate with me, so it will be a different experience. There were two South African women that were trying to qualify, and we both ended up making it. Being able to experience it with my teammate definitely changes it a little bit.
“It means a lot because diving in South Africa is so small. To go back to the Olympics and wear our flag proudly, means a lot. South Africa doesn’t have a lot of opportunity in the sport of diving. To win a medal in diving would be unprecedented in my country. I don’t know if I can put into words what that would mean. Having two Olympic divers from South Africa is already making history because I don’t think we’ve ever had that happen before. If we came home with medals, it would be amazing!”
Now 26, Vincent finished her career one of the most decorated divers in program history. She was a three-time All-American and four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American for the Gamecocks. After graduating in 2018 with a degree in public health and a minor in psychology, she stayed in Columbia to train and attend graduate school where she served as a graduate assistant with the South Carolina Diving program and recently earned her master’s degree in public health with a focus on health promotion, education, and behavior.
“Being at South Carolina helped me greatly,” Vincent said. “Being a part of the SEC and traveling and competing for South Carolina allowed me to compete against a lot of elite athletes. All that experience was so valuable. When you feel comfortable competing, that’s when you compete at your best.”
While she was glad to train in familiar surroundings, the COVID-19 pandemic offered some unique challenges.
“Knowing that we’ve been waiting an extra year for this, it makes it a little more exciting,” Vincent said. “I was lucky that I had some connections, so I was able to train almost all the way through. I have a friend with a diving board in their back yard. During lockdown, I may not have been doing everything I could have been doing because when there’s only a one meter (board), you can’t be training for other boards.
“It was challenging more from a mental aspect. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, but I had to keep reminding myself that almost no one is doing anything! It gives you more of an appreciation for what we do and makes me grateful to be back at it.”
“It’s just such an amazing experience, realizing it’s so much greater than anything else I’ve ever been a part of.”
After being disappointed in her 2016 Olympics performance, Vincent bounced back in 2017 to become the first South African to make it to the finals of the World Championships. Still, Vincent wants to be able to produce her best dives at the Olympics the second time around.
Julia Vincent, Coach Todd Sherritt, teammate Micaela Bouter.
Photo by Dominique Philippopoulos.
“2016 was so exciting, but it was also so disappointing because I knew I was capable of more. This time, I have a much greater drive to do better than I did. There are very few people who go to the Olympics the first time and are able to perform like they normally do because of the nerves that they feel. This time, I know exactly what to expect, so that’s going to help me a lot. I have my teammate, too, so that’s going to help me a lot.
“I want to make the finals, but I think was so fixated on that the last time, I wasn’t able to stay in the moment. This time, I want to stay in the moment, take it dive by dive, and see where that gets me.”
She trains in the pool for five hours per day, five days per week, and that doesn’t include many more hours in the weight room as well as mental training. Vincent noted that the psychological aspect of her sport is huge.
“It’s probably over 50-percent of it,” Vincent said. “There is obviously a huge physical aspect to diving but getting on the board and seeing what you have to do, it’s complete mental training. When you step on the board at a competition you already know how to do the dive. You’ve done it hundreds of times. It’s just about whether you can calm your mind and complete the dive comfortably as if you’re at practice. Once I’m on the board, I try to block out everything else and focus on the dive at hand.”
As she prepares for her time at the Olympics, Vincent can’t help but get excited to be surrounded by the other great athletes of varying sports.
“Just being with athletes from all over the world again is going to be exciting. It’s just such an amazing experience, realizing it’s so much greater than anything else I’ve ever been a part of. I’m looking forward to seeing other athletes and seeing other sports. Hopefully, I can watch other South African teammates as well in their sports.
“My first time around at the Olympics, I got a picture with (U.S.A gymnast) Simone Biles. If I can get another picture with Simone Biles, that would be awesome. She is just a titan in the sport of gymnastics. I would go and watch anything. I love Olympic sports.”
