There are around 10,700 athletes all battling it out for gold in this year’s eagerly-anticipated Olympics with many doing all they can to score the very best for their country.
However, it’s clear that some athletes are more unfortunate than others as viewers were left shocked after watching the moment an Olympic diver scored a flat zero.
Team USA diver Alison Gibson was gutted following her disappointing performance and has since opened up about the ‘pain’ she experienced following yesterday’s events (7 August).
Team USA diver Alison Gibson collided with the springboard in her preliminary dive. (X/@eurosport)
It all went south during the preliminary round of the Olympic women’s 3m springboard which she subsequently finished last out of the 28 competitors.
In her first dive, the 25-year-old Texas native’s feet slammed into the springboard when she was in a tucked position amid a somersault prompting the audience to let out a gasp in shock at the painful blunder.
The collision meant that Alison lost her previous form as she plummeted into the water.
The American then had to watch on in agony as judges awarded her a 0.0 for the dive.
Alison opened up about the pain she experienced during the dive. (Discovery+/Eurosport)
Fans have since taken to social media to share their commiserations, with one X user writing: „Oohh, that’s not a good moment. Hope she was okay.”
A second penned: „Omg. Glad she’s okay and was able to walk out.”
And a third added: „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.”
Since then, Alison has discussed the moment and explained how it won’t stop her from doing what she loves.
„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,” the diver told Reuters.
„I definitely was in pain,” Alison continued. „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.”
The Olympian added: „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.”
Olympics 2024 highlights – the biggest moments so far
The 21-year-old French pole vaulter attempted to clear the 5.70 metres on 3 August when his knee – along with his private parts – got in the way, shattering his Olympic dreams.
Iconic shooter Yusuf Dikec wins silver medal with ‘no equipment’
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Yusuf Dikec became a viral sensation. (Eurosport)
Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec took a laid back approach when he was spotted looking incredibly relaxed with one hand in his pocket and without any shooting gear on.
It all paid off though as he took home the silver along with his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.
Noah Lyles’ 100m victory
He set a personal best (Eurosport)
Setting a new personal best, Lyles came out on top at the finish line by a margin of just 0.005 seconds, with a final time of 9.784.
The final also marked the fastest race of all time, with all eight athletes crossing the finish line in under 10 seconds.
George Mills and Hugo Hay’s 5000m bust up
Chaos erupted when a total of five athletes found themselves face down on the track after an incident left several runners stumbling on top of each other, including Team GB’s George Mills and French runner Hugo Hay.
Mills looked as though he had some harsh words for Hay after the tumble which he admitted he was ‘probably not allowed to say’.
Snoop Dogg in general
Snoop went viral after he rocked up to the dressage team Grand Prix Special fully kitted out in breeches, a dressage tailcoat and hard hat alongside pal Martha Stewart. Iconic.
Ana Carolina Vieira gets sent home for breaking athletes’ village rules with boyfriend
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The swimmer was sent home after her actions. (Instagram/_anavieeiraa)
Ana Carolina Vieira was sent home after she and her boyfriend Gabriel Santos – also a swimmer competing in the Olympics – left the village without permission, which is against the Olympic Village rules.
Team GB star becomes first ever Olympian to win medal in both male and female events
Henry Fieldman (bottom left) made history. (henryfieldman/Instagram)
Coxswain Henry Fieldman made history when he won bronze at the women’s crews event off the back of his bronze win in Tokyo on the men’s team.
Fieldman was able to achieve the feat because of a rule change back in 2017 that allows coxes of either gender to steer the eights.
The River Seine drama
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Tyler Mislawchuk threw up after his race (BBC)
While Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk vomited after swimming in the river, Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen admitted she ‘felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much’.
It came after health concerns were raised over the pollution levels in the river, with the country splashing out a cool £1.18 billion on cleaning it up in time for the games.
Freddie Crittenden jogs for entire race on purpose
The Team USA star purposely put on a leisurely performance in his first heat of the Men’s 110m hurdles and ended up being the last one to make it across the finish line with a time of 18.27 seconds.
The athlete said it was a calculated move to avoid aggravating a sore muscle in his leg and due to the introduction of repechage rounds, he knew that he’d have another chance at glory.
‘Slow pool’ accusations
The pool at the Paris La Défense Arena is 2.15 metres deep which is short of the minimum of 2.5 metres that World Aquatics recommends for an Olympic competition, prompting backlash from viewers.
As a result of the difference in depth, an issue called ‘slow’ swimming is created where the water is more volatile when dispersed than in a deeper pool.
Imane Khelif’s opponent quits boxing match 46 seconds in
Italy’s Angela Carini has since apologised (Eurosport)
The Algerian boxer faced Italy’s Angela Carini in the round of 16 match on 1 August when Carini – who has since apologised – decided to abandon the match after 46 seconds.
Khelif – who was born and raised a girl – was disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi amid claims from the International Boxing Association that she was not able to meet their unspecified eligibility criteria.
Khelif has since been at the centre of a gender row, and has urged people to ‘refrain from bullying all athletes’ amid abuse online.
Luana Alonso ‘kicked out’ of Olympic Village
Luana Alonso took to social media to break her silence (Instagram/@luanalonsom)
The Paraguayan swimmer was said to have been asked to leave the village amid accusations of creating an ‘inappropriate environment’, according to a statement from her team.
Alonso – who also announced her retirement from the sport – has since denied the claims and urged people to ‘stop spreading false information’.
Gold medal winner Thomas Ceccon spotted sleeping in park amid village complaints
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Ceccon having a cheeky snooze. (Instagram)
The athlete, who won gold in the men’s 100m backstroke, was spotted taking a nap outside by Saudi rower Husein Alireza who posted it to his Instagram account, tagging the spot as a location within the official Olympic Village.
Speaking about his accommodation, Ceccon said: „It’s hard to sleep both at night and in the afternoon. Usually, when I’m at home, I always sleep in the afternoon. Here I really struggle between the heat and the noise.”
Steven van de Velde booed while making his Olympic debut
Steven van de Velde is a convicted child rapist (Eurosport)
The convicted child rapist was booed as he competed in the preliminary phase of the beach volleyball men’s tournament at the start of the games last month.
In 2016, Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old girl in August 2014, with many furious that he has been allowed to compete in the Olympics.