US diver Alison Gibson suffered a heartbreaking incident at the 2024 Paris Olympics which landed her with a score of zero.
Competing in her second Olympics, the athlete was looking to secure her spot in the women's 3m springboard semi-finals with an attempt at an inward two-and-a-half pike.
However, Gibson's very first dive during the preliminary event resulted in her hitting her feet and heels on the board, with the impact causing her to lose momentum and entering the water feet first.
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Gibson's dive unfortunately landed her with a score of zero from every judge, though she later reflected on her performance in a positive light.
"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," Gibson told Reuters.
"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."
Despite improving on her first attempt, earning a total score of 198.3 with her subsequent dives, Gibson saw her hopes to move to semi-finals crushed by her first dive, which relegated her to the bottom of the group at the end of the preliminary stage.
In the Olympics, only the top 16 move to the next stage.
"Obviously, today didn't go the way I wanted it to," she added.
"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."
The unfortunate moment went viral on social media, with viewers commenting on Gibson's attempt and extending their empathy.
"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 noted.
"Oohh, that's not a good moment. Hope she was okay," another user wrote, while someone else offered: "Glad she's okay and was able to walk out."
Taking to her Instagram Story after the incident, Gibson thanked fans for their support, writing: "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."
Stefania Sarrubba