American diver Alison Gibson had an experience to forget at the Paris Olympics, colliding with the board on her way to a 0.0 score.
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Gibson lept and flipped, tucking in with her legs straight out. Then she hit the board. It resulted in what's considered a non-dive.
"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," Gibson said.
She's right. Just getting to the Olympics should always come with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.
That said, it didn't come without pain for Gibson, who revealed she bruised her right heel in the collision.
"I hit my heels and my feet on the board," she said, via the New York Post. "I have cuts along the sides, and then I bruised my right heel pretty good, but I was determined to keep going."
🇺🇸🇫🇷🚨‼️ American Alison Gibson hit her feet … and got 28th place.
Ouch, that must hurt inside.
Poor gal pic.twitter.com/SwZHuZ4pgD
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) August 8, 2024
The Post added that judges "take in divers' starting position, take-off, flight and entry into the water. According to NBC's website, the athletes in springboard competitions are also tasked to perform in the categories of forward, backward, reverse, inward and twisting."
Gibson said she never thought about withdrawing.
"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," she said. "It's about the fight."
Indeed it is, and despite things not ending the way she hoped at the Olympics, you can be sure Americans are proud of her nonetheless.
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