U.S. Olympic diver scores 0.0 after disaster board mishap

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To say that Alison Gibson’s first dive at the Paris Olympics didn’t go well would be underselling it.

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The American Olympian scored a big goose egg.

Gibso  was given a 0.0 for her first attempt in the women’s 3 metre springboard after her feet hit the board on the dive, sending her crashing into the water legs first.

After launching with her back to the pool, Gibson performed two front flips while in the tucked position with her legs straight out. However, she clearly didn’t get enough distance and her feet painfully collided with the end of the board.

Judges registered the attempt as a non-dive with a score of 0.0.

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“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,” said Gibson, who didn’t withdraw and completed her final four dives.

The two-time Olympian said that she “definitely was in pain” after the mishap.

“I hit my heels and my feet on the board,” she said, according to Reuters. “I have cuts along the sides, and then I bruised my right heel pretty good, but I was determined to keep going.”

Gibson concluded the day in last place with a total score of 198.30, but she says that withdrawing was never an option after her nightmare start.

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“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,” said Gibson, who contemplated retirement after the Tokyo Games three years ago, where she finished last in the synchronized springboard event.

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In a post on her Instagram Reels on Thursday, the Texan said that she will not let this define her.

“Our worth is not defined by one painful moment. I am who I am because of the journey it took to get here. And I will not let the shame and pain of this moment define me and my worth,” she wrote.

“My faith has been challenged a lot through this and I don’t understand why God would let this happen to me as I have walked so faithfully with him over the past year, but I know his plans are greater than mine and it is not my duty to understand them.

“My heart and my body hurt, but I know that this competition does not and will not define me. If you have a moment when you feel like all is lost, don’t give up hope. You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”

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