PARIS — The day did not start off well for American diver Alison Gibson.
Her feet crashed into the springboard when she was in a tucked position amid a somersault in her first dive in the preliminary round of the Olympic women's 3-metre springboard competition.
After a loud bang and gasps from the audience, Gibson fell awkwardly into the water, making a splash that no diver would be proud of.
Her dive was judged as a failure and she got zero points.
Gibson, however, 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 Olympic journey.
"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 told Reuters, her cuts still raw on both feet.
"I definitely was in pain," she said. "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," she added.
The 25-year-old Gibson almost retired after finishing last in the Tokyo Games three years ago in the synchronised 3-metre springboard event.
She decided to return to the sport, however, and make a bigger impact second time around.
She is sponsoring a school child in Kenya via Missions of Hope International, a non-profit organisation, and hoped her Olympic experience could shine a light.
"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."
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