The diver that scored a zero at the Olympics after a shocking performance on Wednesday (7 August) has spoken up about the incident for the first time.
Alison Gibson of Team USA went viral for all the wrong reasons during the women's three metre springboard event at the Paris Olympics.
Gibson was given a score of 0.0 at the games, after she collided with a springboard on her way down, as it is considered a 'failed dive'.
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The 25-year-old from Houston, Texas, has responded by keeping her head up despite saying that the whole ordeal 'doesn’t feel fair' in an emotional statement on Substack.
The diver shared the post on Thursday (8 August), opening up on her first dive during the preliminary round of the event, which she called 'one of the most painful experiences of my life'.
She revealed: “I asked God 'why' so many times. I was called back into diving a year ago. I won nationals. I qualified the Olympic quota spot at Worlds. I qualified for the Olympics. I made it this far. Just to have it end with a crushing heartbreak.
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"I poured my heart and my soul into training. I sacrificed so much. I’ve asked myself what I did to deserve this. I have walked diligently and faithfully every step of the way. It doesn’t feel fair.”
The sportswoman said that she has 'cried' and 'been angry' in the hours following the worldwide-streamed event, adding: "I’ve asked, ‘why would a good God let me make it all the way to this stage just to allow me to get crushed in front of the world?’ This is hard, and my faith has been tested.”
Following her initial dive, she got a number of cuts and bruises, though she actually managed to complete the competition with a score of 198.30.
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Gibson hopes that her story will inspire others to overcome and persevere through their setbacks - however tough they may be.
She added: “Even though my competition didn’t go the way I wanted. And even though I feel like the world is trying to tear me down piece by piece and leave me shattered, I will keep my chin up because I know that my value and worth come from God...
“I do not know God’s plan. I do not know why he would allow this, but I must continue persevering, and I hope that my willingness to persevere and fight on can inspire those around me.”
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Beyond sports, the 25-year-old is a champion of Missions of Hope International, a Christ-centred, non-governmental organisation that looks to support orphaned and vulnerable children and their families, particularly from the slums of Nairobi and other less privileged areas in Kenya.
Speaking about this, she said she was grateful 'to be surrounded by an amazing community of people who have held me and reminded me of my value and worth.'
Gibson concluded: “Life is full of painful moments. Life is full of losses, but true character is shown through how you get back up. And I will get back up. If you are struggling with something right now in your life, take my hand, and together, we can fight,
“Together, we can persevere. Together, we can overcome our fears. Together, we can shine a light on our shameful moments and recognise that they don’t have power over us. Together, we can become stronger.”
Joshua Nair