Olympics diving: Tom Daley & Pete Waterfield face unique test

Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield must handle the unique atmosphere of a home Olympics if they are to win a medal for Britain on Monday, says Leon Taylor.

Daley and Waterfield compete in the synchronised 10m platform final at the Aquatics Centre, with Taylor warning them to expect plenty of noise.

"There's no chance to get used to the crowd," said Taylor, who won silver with Waterfield at the 2004 Games.

"There's no getting rid of the cobwebs, you have to go out there and nail it."

Taylor said members of the GB diving team have been trying to get a feel for the occasion by attending the swimming events, which are also held in the Aquatics Centre.

"The atmosphere is electric and it's about keeping their pulse rate and minds under control," he said. "You don't want to let those nerves take hold because there's no going back."

Taylor thinks Daley, 18, and Waterfield, 31, are in with a chance of a medal but says the Chinese of Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan will be hard to beat.

"The Chinese pair are almost unbeatable at times," said Taylor, who is commentating on the diving competition for BBC Sport. "But then you never know what's going to happen in this kind of gladiatorial arena."

The final, which features eight pairs, is due to start at 15:00 BST.

London 2012: Tom Daley & Pete Waterfield aiming for Olympic glory

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Waterfield says sorry to Daley for Olympic diving error

By Nick Hope BBC Olympic sports reporter Peter Waterfield says he apologised to diving partner Tom Daley after an error cost them a chance of an Olympic medal.

The British pair led the field at the halfway stage, but slipped behind China, Mexico and USA into fourth when Waterfield over-rotated on entry.

"After that dive [a reverse three-and-a-half somersault], I said sorry, but Tom told me not to worry," he said.

"It's the worst place to finish at an Olympics. I'd rather be last. To miss out on bronze by nine points is tough."

Fourth place 'agonising' for Daley

Waterfield, who won an Olympic silver medal at the 2004 Games with Leon Taylor, also finished fourth in the event in 2000.

Daley, 18, insisted he placed no blame on his partner, adding that he thought he had made an error in the routine as well.

"At the end of the day, we're a team. We win together and we lose together," said Daley.

"It's been a tough year for me training-wise and it's been a tough year for Pete with injuries, so we're proud of actually being here in front of the home crowd."

The double Commonwealth champion insisted that they will both come back stronger for the individual event next week.

"That performance would have won us a medal in Beijing, so diving has come on a lot since then," said Daley. "We've experienced what the crowd is going to be like now, so we won't be overwhelmed."

Tom Daley & Pete Waterfield fourth in 10m synchro

By Tom Fordyce Chief sports writer, at the Olympics Aquatic Centre Britain's Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield missed out on an Olympic medal in the synchronised 10m platform event after coming fourth at the Aquatics Centre.

Daley, 18, and his 31-year-old team-mate had led the competition after three of their six dives but a poor next effort saw them drop to fourth.

Leon Taylor BBC diving commentator

One mistake can prove costly and, unfortunately, that is what happened to our boys. The all-important fourth-round dive is, ironically, their best dive. In training, they have been exceptional. But Tom came out too early and Pete too late. Both made a different error. As soon as you hit the water, you know. There is no magic rewind button. When it mattered, they faltered - and what a shame it was.

China's Yuan Cao and Yanquan Zhang took gold with a total score of 486.78.

Mexico clinched silver on 468.90 ahead of the United States duo on 463.47 with the British pair on 454.65.

It was an anti-climactic end to a competition that promised so much, the deafening home support ebbing away with the hopes of Daley and Waterfield.

In the first two compulsory rounds, the Britons had been exceptional, going past the Chinese favourites with a score of 56.4 from an inward dive to lead by 0.60 points.

They extended that lead in the third round when their back three-and-a-half somersault was given a score of 91.08. That meant, with three dives left, they led Cao and Zhang by 2.4 points with Germany's Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein in bronze.

But the Chinese, just 17 and 18 years old and winners of the World Series events in Beijing and Moscow earlier this year in addition to the test event here in February, increased the pressure with 93.06 points for a reverse three-and-a-half somersault.

That is when the British pair cracked. Going for the same dive, Waterfield over-rotated and his entry was poor. The judges awarded a score of just 71.28 - and in that instant the gold medal was gone.

Fourth place 'agonising' for Daley

The Chinese had a 19-point advantage over the home favourites and increased the gap between them and the pursuing pack with a 92.66 off a back three-and-a-half somersault in the penultimate round.

Daley and Waterfield still had realistic hopes of a medal, but Daley was fractionally off on their extremely testing forward four-and-a-half somersault.

When their final dive - a back two-and-a half somersault with two-and-a half twists - scored them no more than 91.80 for a total of 454.65, their fourth place was confirmed.

Mexican pair Ivan Garcia Navarro and German Sanchez Sanchez snatched silver with an audacious final dive to leave the USA's Nicholas McCrory and David Boudia with the bronze medal.

If the margins seemed fine, that is the nature of the sport. Daley, one of the best-known British athletes competing in London, will now pin his medal hopes on the solo 10m platform competition on Friday, 10 August.

Tom Daley & Pete Waterfield fourth in 10m synchro

By Tom Fordyce Chief sports writer, at the Olympics Aquatic Centre Britain's Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield missed out on an Olympic medal in the synchronised 10m platform event after coming fourth at the Aquatics Centre.

Daley, 18, and his 31-year-old team-mate had led the competition after three of their six dives but a poor next effort saw them drop to fourth.

Leon Taylor BBC diving commentator

One mistake can prove costly and, unfortunately, that is what happened to our boys. The all-important fourth-round dive is, ironically, their best dive. In training, they have been exceptional. But Tom came out too early and Pete too late. Both made a different error. As soon as you hit the water, you know. There is no magic rewind button. When it mattered, they faltered - and what a shame it was.

China's Yuan Cao and Yanquan Zhang took gold with a total score of 486.78.

Mexico clinched silver on 468.90 ahead of the United States duo on 463.47 with the British pair on 454.65.

It was an anti-climactic end to a competition that promised so much, the deafening home support ebbing away with the hopes of Daley and Waterfield.

In the first two compulsory rounds, the Britons had been exceptional, going past the Chinese favourites with a score of 56.4 from an inward dive to lead by 0.60 points.

They extended that lead in the third round when their back three-and-a-half somersault was given a score of 91.08. That meant, with three dives left, they led Cao and Zhang by 2.4 points with Germany's Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein in bronze.

But the Chinese, just 17 and 18 years old and winners of the World Series events in Beijing and Moscow earlier this year in addition to the test event here in February, increased the pressure with 93.06 points for a reverse three-and-a-half somersault.

That is when the British pair cracked. Going for the same dive, Waterfield over-rotated and his entry was poor. The judges awarded a score of just 71.28 - and in that instant the gold medal was gone.

Fourth place 'agonising' for Daley

The Chinese had a 19-point advantage over the home favourites and increased the gap between them and the pursuing pack with a 92.66 off a back three-and-a-half somersault in the penultimate round.

Daley and Waterfield still had realistic hopes of a medal, but Daley was fractionally off on their extremely testing forward four-and-a-half somersault.

When their final dive - a back two-and-a half somersault with two-and-a half twists - scored them no more than 91.80 for a total of 454.65, their fourth place was confirmed.

Mexican pair Ivan Garcia Navarro and German Sanchez Sanchez snatched silver with an audacious final dive to leave the USA's Nicholas McCrory and David Boudia with the bronze medal.

If the margins seemed fine, that is the nature of the sport. Daley, one of the best-known British athletes competing in London, will now pin his medal hopes on the solo 10m platform competition on Friday, 10 August.

Waterfield says sorry to Daley for Olympic diving error

By Nick Hope BBC Olympic sports reporter Peter Waterfield says he apologised to diving partner Tom Daley after an error cost them a chance of an Olympic medal.

The British pair led the field at the halfway stage, but slipped behind China, Mexico and USA into fourth when Waterfield over-rotated on entry.

"After that dive [a reverse three-and-a-half somersault], I said sorry, but Tom told me not to worry," he said.

"It's the worst place to finish at an Olympics. I'd rather be last. To miss out on bronze by nine points is tough."

Fourth place 'agonising' for Daley

Waterfield, who won an Olympic silver medal at the 2004 Games with Leon Taylor, also finished fourth in the event in 2000.

Daley, 18, insisted he placed no blame on his partner, adding that he thought he had made an error in the routine as well.

"At the end of the day, we're a team. We win together and we lose together," said Daley.

"It's been a tough year for me training-wise and it's been a tough year for Pete with injuries, so we're proud of actually being here in front of the home crowd."

The double Commonwealth champion insisted that they will both come back stronger for the individual event next week.

"That performance would have won us a medal in Beijing, so diving has come on a lot since then," said Daley. "We've experienced what the crowd is going to be like now, so we won't be overwhelmed."

London 2012: Tom Daley & Pete Waterfield aiming for Olympic glory

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