Although Matthew Mitcham, the Australian diver crashed out in the 10m platform semi-finals yesterday he has decided that he will not be retiring from the sport after the London 2012 Olympics.
Mitcham, one of the very few openly gay male athletes in this year’s Olympics in London is quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying:
“Before coming to London, I’d pretty much decided that this was going to be my last Olympics. I was going to retire, just because of all the injuries and everything.
“I couldn’t see it getting any better, just how wearing 10m is on the body … but once I got here, all bets were off.
“The Olympics is just the most amazing experience and I never want to miss another one again. In no matter what capacity — whether it’s a diver, maybe just a springboard diver, or whether it’s media or anything, I’m definitely going to be in Rio, no matter what.”
Mitcham told the press that there were other options open to him such as the 3m springboard. He has experience as a 1m, 3m and 10 metre diver.
“I do have a history as a springboard diver, but I’ve never been solely a springboard diver”, Mitcham said.
“I’ve always been a platform diver and done springboard either to fill spots, or just because I was sort of semi-OK at it.
“But I have been in discussion with Chava my coach about the possibility of becoming solely a springboard diver … I’m not really going to take a holiday when I get home — I’m actually going to start working on the strength required to be a springboard diver straight away.
“It’s going to take a long time to get my thighs as big as [China’s] He Chong’s.”
After failing to reach a place in the finals, Mitcham said:
“I could never have done more.
“That’s what I have to say to make myself feel better … [and] no one can take that [gold medal] away from me, and that’s another thing that I can use as consolation, that I’m always going to be an Olympic champion.
“So there.”
His failure to achieve gold this year disappointed many of his fans, after promising to dive naked if he achieved gold.
