The American diver who experienced a zero score after a mid-air mishap at the Olympics has opened up about her ‘crushing heartbreak’.
Alison Gibson aimed to secure her place in the women’s 3m springboard semi-finals earlier this week by attempting a challenging maneuver.
If she had successfully executed the two-and-a-half pike, Gibson would have almost certainly guaranteed her spot in the next round.
However, failure to complete it would likely result in her not advancing.
Unfortunately for the US diver, the latter scenario occurred, leaving her with a 0.0 score at the Olympics.
During the dive, Gibson struck her feet and heels on the board, causing her to lose momentum and enter the water feet first.
Following the mistake, Gibson spoke to Reuters about the emotional experience, saying: “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 recognize that even in the worst moments you can keep fighting, you can walk courageously.”
“I definitely was in pain. 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.”
On her Substack, she wrote: “I asked God why so many times. I was called back into diving a year ago. I won nationals. I qualified the Olympic quota spot at Worlds. I qualified for the Olympics. I made it this far. Just to have it end with a crushing heartbreak. I poured my heart and my soul into training. I sacrificed so much. I’ve asked myself what I did to deserve this. I have walked diligently and faithfully every step of the way. It doesn’t feel fair.”
She added: “Over the past 24 hours, I’ve cried, and I have been angry. I’ve asked, ‘why would a good God let me make it all the way to this stage just to allow me to get crushed in front of the world?’ This is hard, and my faith has been tested.”
“Even though my competition didn’t go the way I wanted. And even though I feel like the world is trying to tear me down piece by piece and leave me shattered, I will keep my chin up because I know that my value and worth come from God.”
“I do not know God’s plan. I do not know why he would allow this, but I must continue persevering, and I hope that my willingness to persevere and fight on can inspire those around me.”
The incident quickly went viral on social media, bringing Gibson into the headlines for reasons she would have preferred to avoid.
Many Olympic viewers took to Twitter to comment on Gibson’s unfortunate attempt.
“Surprised this doesn’t happen more often, even at their level, in the other events some were skimming platforms on the way down, so dangerous,” one person commented.
Another remarked: “Oohh, that’s not a good moment. Hope she was okay,” while a third noted: “Glad she’s okay and was able to walk out.”
Despite the disappointment, Gibson showed resilience by thanking her supporters on social media after the competition.
“Thank you to everyone who came around to support me yesterday! Sports can be brutal but I refuse to let one hard moment define me,” she said on her Instagram Story.