Jack Laugher says diving still ‘fuels his fire’ ahead of fourth Olympic Games

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games around the corner, we take a look at some of the aquatic athletes who will be competing for Team GB this summer.

Jack Laugher is heading into his fourth Olympics looking for a fourth and potentially even a fifth medal in Paris.

The City of Leeds diver already owns a full set of Olympic medals and can add to his tally alongside partner Anthony Harding or in the individual Men’s 3m Springboard.

For Laugher though his hopes aren’t medals; it’s just to continue to do himself proud and focus on the enjoyment of the sport.

He said: “My hopes are to go out there and do myself proud as always. I want to compete as well as I can and I know that in my heart if I compete well then hopefully I should be on that podium.

“My hopes are never medal based, they’re always focussed on performance and enjoyment as well. I want to really enjoy myself at these games and have a good time.

“I’ve stayed motivated throughout my career just by the love of the sport really, I’m so passionate about diving.

“It really still fuels my fire when I’m doing well and when I’m enjoying myself. I’ve still got a bonfire in the sport, which is such a special place to be at almost 30 years old and well over 20 years in the sport. It’s still nice to have the enjoyment that I get out of it.”

“I wouldn’t be here without them”

The Yorkshire-born athlete has been with City of Leeds since 2011 after starting his diving in Harrogate and is grateful for all the support he’s had on his journey.

“Leeds has been instrumental for me. Between where I started to swim in Ripon when I was a kid, then moving onto the hydro in Harrogate for the start of my diving career. They were wonderful and then moving onto Leeds.

“I think with those steps, I’ve always had fantastic people around me, very good athletes and coaches that made me the person I am today so without Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds I would not be here.”

Ahead of Paris, the British diving stalwart hasn’t ruled out a fifth Games in Los Angeles but is honoured to join an illustrious group to have qualified for fourth Olympics.

“I think making any Olympic Games is obviously extremely special regardless of how many you do but making four is such a huge achievement.

“It puts me in a very small category of athletes to have made four and there’s always space for five as well looking forward, but right now I’m focussing on the present.

“The Olympic gold, silver and bronze I’ve had have all been completely different and been massive milestones for me. Obviously the gold was so special in Rio because it was the first ever and it was a gold as well.

“The silver, I almost didn’t make the final and managed to turn myself around and I think that showed true resilience.

“And then in Tokyo, I struggled with mental health issues and struggled to have that bonfire that I talked about but I managed to overcome that and still end up on that podium so that was really special for me.

“But they all are and just making the Olympics Games is wonderful.”