Ripon's Jack Laugher wins bronze at Tokyo Olympics

He's completed his Olympic medal collection- adding to a gold and silver from 2016

Jack Laugher won bronze in the men's 3m springboard
Author: Liam Arrowsmith and PA reportersPublished 3rd Aug 2021

Jack Laugher- who's from Ripon- has added a medal to Team GB's total at the Tokyo Olympics after picking up a bronze in the 3m springboard diving.

There was relief from the 26-year-old afterwards, who says the last two years of his career have left him on the brink of quitting.

He took gold and silver at the Olympics in Rio in 2016, but a mistake in the 2019 World Championships saw him slip from a gold medal position to bronze.

He candidly confessed that he kept repeating the error with the same back three and a half somersaults dive, leaving him fearful of attempting it until a turning point at the European Championship in May.

"This (Olympic bronze) means everything to me," said the 26-year-old from Ripon. "It has been the worst two years of my life.

"After the 2019 World Championships and failing to make myself a world champion, embarrassing myself with my final dive and the mistakes and the failure that I had there, it crushed me, it really, really crushed me.

"It put me in a place that was just terrible, cried myself to sleep quite a few times, had a lot of sleepless nights because I still make that same mistake.

Celebrating with a roast dinner

Jack's been called an "inspiration" to the next generation of British divers

Parents Dave and Jackie have revealed they were in tears after Jack's win and are planning to celebrate with a "roast dinner."

Dave and Jackie Laugher, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, said they were "super-relieved" and burst into tears when their son bagged third place in the men's 3m springboard final in Tokyo on Tuesday morning.

The couple revealed that the 26-year-old insisted on calling his parents to tell them he loved them before being ushered on to the podium to receive his medal.

Harrogate District Diving Club, where Jack used to train, have also praised him, calling him an "inspiration" to the next generation of divers.

Chair Leanne Jalland said: "he's the only British diver to medal in this event, so to achieve it back-to-back is incredible."

Elsehwere, there's been huge success for Team GB on day 11 of the Tokyo Olympics, including two more gold medals.

They both came in sailing, with Giles Scott defending his Finn class title and Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell winning in the 49er event.

Silver went to John Gimson and Anna Burney in the mixed Nacra.