Jack Laugher gutted after dive that was ‘nail in coffin moment’ for Olympics hopes
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Jack Laugher expressed his disappointment at his performance in the 3m springboard final at the Olympics. He admitted that the pressure of the event affected his diving, resulting in a seventh-place finish. Despite winning a bronze medal in the synchronised event earlier in the Games, Laugher was unable to replicate that success in the individual competition. His teammate Jordan Houlden also fell short of a podium finish, coming in fifth place.
Laugher, aged 29, also questioned if he would compete in another Olympic Games after facing challenges during his performance at Paris 2024.
Great Britain's diving team had a successful Games, earning four medals in the pool. China's team has been very strong, winning all six gold medals. Unfortunately, Laugher couldn't compete with Xie Siyi and Zonguan, who took first and second place. Mexico's Osmar Olvera Ibarra impressed with a bronze medal.
Laugher's hopes were pretty much dashed after a failed third dive, an inward 3 1/2 somersaults, which caused a big splash and low scores of 3s and 3.5s. Onlookers in the stands, including Harding and other Team GB divers, looked disappointed and worried as Laugher struggled to bounce back from the mistake, finding himself in eighth place halfway through the competition.
"It was the final straw at that moment," said Laugher, who confessed to uttering some "awful things" underwater following the 35-point dive that prevented him from winning an Olympic medal.
"I gave it my all and put in my best effort, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I wish I could have given up at that point, but I'm glad I kept going because I am determined and always follow through. It wasn't the dream ending I had hoped for, but I'm proud of my effort."
I am feeling disappointed. I was aware of my capabilities from the beginning, and I believe that in the earlier rounds, I was just going with the flow and concentrating on my own performance. However, in the final round, my emotions took over. I think I was too focused on achieving the desired outcome and may have lost sight of the usual process that I follow.
Laugher has participated in every Olympic Games since London 2012, when he was just 15 years old. Only Tom Daley has won more medals for Team GB, with a total of five medals. Daley competed in his fifth Games in Paris, and if Laugher competes in Los Angeles in 2028, he will have the opportunity to join him in that achievement.
"I have no idea what the future will bring in the next four years," he stated.
I don't know what will happen in the future. For example, there's this guy named Osmar who came in third place. Two years ago, I didn't even know who he was, and now he's one of the top three divers in the world. The diving world evolves rapidly, and someone in Britain could easily rise up and take my spot. It's impossible to predict what will happen.
Houlden, who is 26 years old, felt happy about his first time competing in the Olympics. He mentioned that finishing in fifth place and reaching the final was a significant accomplishment for him. His goal was to make it to the final, and he succeeded. He entered the competition with a lot of enthusiasm. Although he believes he could have performed some dives better, he is still pleased with his fifth-place finish. He noted that placing fifth at the Olympics was a respectable achievement.
