Paris Olympics: Mexico's Vazquez blames crowd noise for failed dive

PARIS — Mexico's Aranza Vazquez lodged a complaint about the crowd noise after one of her dives in the three-metre springboard semi-final was ruled as "failed" by the judges, earning her zero points and leaving too big a gap to qualify for the final.

Vazquez, 21, who placed third in the preliminary round, entered the water with a massive splash from her fourth dive, a reverse two and a half somersaults piked.

The judges took a few minutes to determine that the dive had failed and Vazquez received nul points as a result.

"She is heartbroken. As you can see, she is a good diver," Jose Gomez Ruiz, press attache of the Mexican Olympic delegation, told Reuters after the event. "The only thing she asked me is please take me out of here."

Ruiz said Vazquez filed a complaint immediately after the dive as she was distracted by noise from the spectators, which caused her poor performance.

"Right before the judge whistled, she hears a sound that distracts her and she fail[ed] to jump," Ruiz said.

They determined that her complaint would not change their ruling and she would not get a re-dive, Ruiz said. Vazquez declined to speak to the media.

The Olympic Aquatics Centre has been filled with excited fans throughout the Games, posing distractions for some competitors in other events as well.

China's Quan Hongchan, who won gold in the women's 10-metre individual and synchronised platform events, said on Tuesday (Aug 6) excited spectators made her a little nervous during the competition and that she would like them to keep quiet before divers launch into motion.

Quan's teammates Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani, who won the women's synchronised three-metre springboard event, also nearly missed the cue for them to start the routine amid loud cheers from the crowd.

Despite four other successful dives, Vazquez ended in 16th place in the semi-final, with only the top 12 going forward into Friday's final. She came sixth in the same event at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Chen ranked first in Thursday's semi-final.

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