Ripon’s history-making Olympic diver Jack Laugher, has earned his place in tomorrow’s semi-final of the individual three-metre springboard event.
He finished sixth in this morning’s preliminary competition at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with a points tally of 445.05, raising hopes that he can add to the gold and silver medals that he won at the Rio 2016 games.
This morning’s improved performance follows last week’s disappointment when Laugher – a former student of Ripon Grammar School, who was born and bred in Littlethorpe – finished seventh in the synchronised three-metre springboard final with new partner Daniel Goodwill.
In the synchronised event, Laugher and Goodwill showed mental toughness to achieve their highest points in their sixth and last dive.
With a tariff of 3.9, it is classed as the world’s most difficult dive.
Jack Laugher in action at this year’s European Aquatics Championships where he won silver Picture: British Swimming.
The hint of better to come for Laugher in the men’s individual springboard, was realised in this morning’s preliminary competition, where he competed against 28 of the world’s elite.
This morning, the 26-year-old got off to an excellent start, with his first dive of six – carrying a tariff of 3.4, giving him an early lead.
By the half way stage, with three rounds behind him, Laugher was placed 11 on 198.90 points, with the dominant Wang Zongyuan and XIE Siyi placed first and second – the ranking the China pair finished in at the end of the preliminaries.
At the Rio games, he and then partner Chis Mears became the first GB divers to win a gold Olympic medal when a world-beating performance saw them crowned champions.
This prevented China from making a clean sweep of gold in the overall diving competition.
Six days later in the Rio Aquatics Centre, City of Leeds club member Laugher – who was taught to swim at Ripon’s Spa Baths and took up diving at the Harrogate Hydro Pool – won silver in the men’s individual three-metre springboard event.
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Tomorrow, followers of Littlethorpe and Ripon’s local hero, can watch the semi-final on the BBC starting at 2am UK time. The final will be broadcast live at 7am UK time.
A total of 18 divers will take part in the semi-final and from this, 12 go on to the final.
