Olympics-French diver takes tumble during inauguration ceremony


  • Diving
  • Friday, 05 Apr 2024

Diving - FINA Diving World Cup 2021 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics Aquatics Test Event - Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan - May 6, 2021 France's Alexis Jandard reacts during the men's 3m springboard final REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

(Reuters) - French diver Alexis Jandard said he was glad to have brought a smile to people's faces after suffering an embarrassing fall during the inauguration ceremony for an Olympic aquatics centre which was attended by President Emmanuel Macron.

Jandard, who previously competed at the Tokyo Olympics, slipped on a board just as he was about to dive alongside two other divers, before awkwardly bouncing off the board and into the water on Thursday.

In an Instagram story, the 26-year-old posted a picture of himself with scrapes on his back.

"I'm fine. I didn't hurt myself, unfortunately these things happen," Jandard told RMC Sport. "It happened at a time when I wasn't expecting it at all.

"I've broken boards before, but the board had never broken me before. Now it has. I would have preferred this ceremony to have gone well from start to finish. There was that little hitch. If it made people smile a little, so much the better.

"We know our sport. We know what it entails. We know that these things can happen ... It had to happen in front of the President and the whole of France. I think we chose the right moment."

The diving competition at the Olympics takes place at the Paris Aquatics Centre in July and August.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Diving

Diver shows he’s future star after splashing to first international medal
He Ken do a good job
Olympian Ken Nee set to take over from Bryan as diving head
Money isn’t everything
Bryan says he's leaving Malaysia to seek fresh challenge in another Asian country
Wendy becomes first to coach abroad by joining Singapore
Tze Liang, 13-time SEA Games champ, bids goodbye to diving, will return as coach
Diving in deep water
Springing back to right platform
Nurqayyum delights Bryan after delivering long awaited medal in world juniors

Others Also Read