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Portrait of Olympic gold medallist Jack Laugher inspires Ripon students

With the Tokyo games now underway, a portrait of Olympic gold medallist diver Jack Laugher is providing inspiration to Ripon Grammar School students.

The former RGS pupil became an Olympic champion alongside partner Chris Mears at Rio 2016, when the duo made history in three-metre springboard synchronised diving.

Having become, with Mears, the first GB Olympic divers to win gold, he went on to take silver in the men’s individual three-metre springboard competition.

The painting by artist and RGS parent Fiona Scott, which features Jack holding his medals from Rio, now has pride of place at the school.

The school, along with sports fans across Great Britain, will be cheering him on as he competes in Tokyo.

Photo of the portrait of Jack Laugher at Ripon Grammar School

An inspirational painting – artist Fiona Scott (right) with, from the left: RGS headmaster Jonathan Webb, Dan Brown and Eliza Polito

The synchronised event will be broadcast live on the BBC on Wednesday morning (7am UK time).

The individual event begins with the preliminary round at 7am UK time on August 2, with the semi-final and final respectively starting at 2am and 7am UK time, on 3 August.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb is thrilled to have the stunning oil painting of the Olympic gold medal winner hanging in school, particularly as it was installed just before the games. He said:

“Students and staff are all very excited and we’ll all be willing him on.”

Ms Scott, who arranged a sitting with Laugher at Leeds Aquatics Centre, said he was delighted to hear the painting was now on show at his old school.

Keen swimmer Darcy Harper was among the students who met the sporting hero when he returned to RGS to present prizes to pupils three years ago.

The 15-year-old, who has competed in national schools finals, said:

“I found it inspiring to hear his story and how far he’s come.”

Laugher, who left RGS in 2013, has also inspired Dan Brown, who has represented RGS in county swimming championships, athletics and tennis.

The 14-year-old, who is aiming for a career in sport, said:

“He has shown how it’s possible to combine a professional sporting career while managing his schoolwork, which I really admire.”

Eliza Polito, a 14-year-old swimmer and runner, added:

“I think it’s so cool to know that Jack Laugher came to this school and has gone on to achieve so much.”

Artist Ms Scott’s daughter Lily Wainwright is a Year 10 boarding student, whose two older brothers also studied at RGS.

The Laugher painting was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters‘ annual exhibition in London in May last year before the exhibition was cancelled due to covid.

Harrogate diving talent ready for Olympics

As the Euros finish, all eyes now turn to the Olympics in Tokyo later this month and Harrogate’s diving talent.

Jack Laugher and Oliver Dingley will be representing Team GB and Team Ireland respectively in the men’s 3m springboard and synchronised diving events.

There are also three coaches from Harrogate who will be working in Japan training other nation’s diving squads. Ady Hinchcliffe and Andy Banks coach Team Australia’s diving team.

Ady has coached eight Olympians through the events over the years. Andy is the coach who trained Tom Daley in the 2012 London Olympic when he won a bronze medal for the men’s platform event.

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Damian Ball, Jack Laugher and Oliver Dingley at the Fina Diving World Cup in May.

Damian Ball will be representing Team Ireland as he coaches Oliver Dingley during the upcoming Olympics.

In 1999 Harrogate Borough Council named Damian Ball diving development officer and head coach at The Hydro in Harrogate.

Both Jack Laugher and Oliver Dingley were coached by Damian Ball back in 2010.

Leanne Jalland, chair of the Harrogate District Diving Club, said this about the Olympian’s time training in Harrogate:

“What made Harrogate special in terms of diving talent and coaching back in the days when Damian was Head Coach and Jack and Oliver were diving at the club was a combination of hardworking talented coaches and athletes with the resources to allow them to fulfill their potential.”

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic games will start on July 23.

Jack Laugher’s mum: ‘He’s achieved so much but supports me too’

In the golden glow of Olympic glory, Jack Laugher told BBC television viewers that his favourite place in the world is “back home in Littlethorpe”.

For those who know him best, that came as no surprise.

The sporting role model has never forgotten his roots in the Ripon area and he continues to give back to the community where he was raised.

In the same week that he heard he had been selected for the GB’s Tokyo Olympic team, Jack agreed to sponsor the Roosters – Ripon’s newest netball team.

His mother Jackie, who will play in the a team for players aged 50 and above, told the Stray Ferret:

“While achieving so much in his sport, Jack has always been a loving son, supportive of what I’m doing.

“He takes as much interest in my membership of Ripon City Netball Club, as I do in his membership of the GB Olympic team.”

In addition to his Olympic gold and silver, Jack was a multiple medallist at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. He is pictured here with Sylvia Grice.

A Transdev 36 double-decker bus is named in his honour and a bench installed by Littlethorpe Parish Council bears his name.

He was also one of six GB Olympic competitors supported by ALDI whose shoppers in Ripon and across the country could see his face on posters.

Jack’s history-making performance with diving partner Chris Mears meant the pair became Britain’s first Olympic diving gold medallists.

Jack Laugher, who picked up a silver medal at this year's European Aquatics Championships.

Jack in action at this year’s European Aquatics Championships, where he won silver. Picture: British Swimming

Jack’s mother Jackie and her best friend Helen Mackenzie were at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre in Rio to witness the winning springboard-propelled synchronised twists and turns, which denied the China team a clean sweep of the 2016 Olympic diving golds.

Back in the UK, a third woman shared in this triangle of triumph, watching on television in the lounge of her Littlethorpe home.

Sylvia Grice, who was made an MBE for teaching an estimated 250,000 children how to swim, saw her former water babe become an Olympic champion.

Jack, who started with his first splash at Ripon’s Spa Baths when he was three, now had gold around his neck.

Sylvia pointed out:

“Even at that age, he had the confidence and control to swim under water and that proved to be a good omen.”

A week later, Jack added silver in the men’s individual three-metre springboard event, becoming the first British diver to win multiple medals at an Olympic games.

Helen, who is Sylvia’s daughter and has followed in her mother’s slipstream as a swimming teacher, also teaches PE at Ripon Grammar School, where Jack’s academic and sporting prowess was developed.

She will also join the new Roosters netball team, and said:

“Jack is such a special person – a giver, not a taker.

“After donating a buddies bench to Ripon Cathedral School, he turned up at his old primary in his GB Olympic kit to present sports day prizes, pose with children and parents for photographs and sign autographs.”

Ripon’s Jack Laugher selected for the Olympics

Ripon diver Jack Laugher has today been named in the Great Britain diving team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Laugher, who made history at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by becoming the first ever Olympic champion in diving for Great Britain, is one of 12 people selected.

Other leading names include Tom Daley, who hopes to win his first Olympic gold medal.

Laugher will defend his Olympic crown in the men’s 3m synchro event. He will also target a second Olympic medal in the individual 3m springboard event, after taking silver in that competition five years ago.

Laugher, who represents City of Leeds, will be joined in the synchro by Rio 2016 bronze medallist Daniel Goodfellow, with Edinburgh’s James Heatly the other pick in the 3m individual.

British Swimming described today’s squad as “phenomenally strong”.

Alexei Evangulov, British Diving performance director, said:

“This has been the longest Olympic cycle ever, however the hardest part of it was the last year – our team exceeded all my expectation in terms of coping with all the challenges we experienced during the pandemic.

“There were a lot; pool closures, isolation, quarantine, uncertainness, competitions postponements, you name it. Our divers not only managed to secure their physical and technical shape in this situation, but also significantly improved their diving quality.”

The Olympics are due to take place in Japan from July 23 to August 8.

Jack Laugher claims silver medal at European Aquatics Championships

Diver Jack Laugher has won a silver medal for Great Britain at this year’s European Aquatics Championships.

He finished second in the men’s 1m springboard final and scored 402.90 from six routines.

Laugher, who is from Ripon, is competing for Great Britain at the tournament in Budapest.

Germany’s Patrick Hausding picked up the gold medal, while Giovanni Tocci finished third and took bronze.

Laugher said:

“At the end, my score is not so great but I am happy with the medal. For me it was important to get a feel of the Championships and to get used to competing again.

“I am more than happy to share the podium with champions like Patrick and Giovanni and content with the silver medal.”

Meanwhile, Laugher is set to compete in the individual 3m discipline today.