The duo, from Bristol, followed up their breakthrough silver and bronze medals at this year’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha by winning the Technical Duet title in the second leg of the Artistic Swimming World Cup, which doubled as an official Olympic Test Event for Paris 2024.

“It was a cool moment – we are gold medallists in the Olympic pool, the first time we have swum in it,” said Shortman, who studies International Management and Modern Languages (French) at the University and is supported by a Bill Whiteley Scholarship.

“It’s good to get that experience under our belts and give us confidence going into the final Olympic push. There is still so much to work on, we are not getting complacent at all. We’re hungry for more and really excited for what is to come.”

Shortman and Thorpe, who set the Olympic qualification standard at February’s World Championships, were last to compete in a high-class World Cup field featuring a host of Paris 2024 medal contenders.

Japanese duet Higa Moe and Mashiro Yasunaha, the 2023 World Champions, had set the benchmark with a combined total of 258.1783 but the in-form Brits produced a stunning routine to score 260.0517 and take the gold.

Find out more about how scholarships support high-performing student-athletes at the University of Bath by visiting teambath.com/scholarships.

With thanks to Team Bath