US diver Alison Gibson said she was left with cuts and bruises after she hit the board during the 3m women’s springboard competition on Wednesday.
Gibson’s feet crashed into the springboard when she was in a tuck position during a somersault in her first dive in the preliminary round of the competition.
After a loud bang and gasps from the audience, Gibson fell awkwardly into the water, effectively ending her Olympic medal chances when she was given zero points for the dive. Gibson kept going and finished her remaining four dives with as much composure as she could muster but still finished last, marking the end of her journey in Paris.
“I hit my heels and my feet on the board. I have cuts along the sides. And then I bruised my right heel pretty good, but I was determined to keep going,” a tearful Gibson said, the cuts still raw on both feet.
“I definitely was in pain. But one thing that I say is I hope that anyone who is watching just was able to see what it looks like to get up and keep going even when things don’t go the way you want them to. It’s about the fight.
“Obviously, today didn’t go the way I wanted it to. But I think you can learn and grow from every experience, and I truly hope that the next generation of athletes recognise that even in the worst moments you can keep fighting, you can walk courageously.”
The 25-year-old almost retired after finishing last at the Tokyo Games three years ago in the synchronised 3m springboard.
She decided to return to the sport, however, in order to draw attention to matters away from the pool. She is sponsoring a school child in Kenya via Missions of Hope International, a non-profit organisation, and hoped her Olympic experience could being attention to the project.
“I decided I didn’t just want to come back for diving, but I wanted to have an impact beyond myself,” she said. “My mission is for every single child at that school to be sponsored by the end of the Olympics. I really hope that the courage I showed today has a positive impact on those around me.”
