Jack Laugher

Jack Laugher
Jack Laugher in 2012
Personal information
Full name Jack David Laugher[1]
Born (1995-01-30) 30 January 1995
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK
Height 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight 64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Country United Kingdom
Club City of Leeds Diving Club

Jack David Laugher MBE (/lɔːr/ LOR; born 30 January 1995) is a British diver competing for Great Britain and England. A specialist on springboard, he competes in individual springboard events, and in synchronised events with Chris Mears.[2] The duo became Britain’s first diving Olympic champions by winning a gold medal in the men's synchronised 3m springboard event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, a title many had expected double world 10m champion Tom Daley would achieve first.[3] A week later, Laugher won a silver in the men's individual 3m springboard at the same Games, becoming the first British diver to win multiple Olympic diving medals at the same Games.[4]

Laugher was a double Commonwealth Games champion for England at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, a triple champion in 2018, and the first British diver to win two medals at the same World Championships, the 2015 World Championships.[5] In 2015, Laugher won the overall title in the FINA Diving World Series for 3-metre springboard.[6]

Early life

Laugher was born on 30 January 1995 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, to David and Jackie Laugher.[1][7] He was educated at Ripon Grammar School, a co-educational state grammar school in Ripon, North Yorkshire.[8]

Laugher became interested in diving when he was seven during a family visit to Harrogate Hydro Swimming Pool and a lifeguard told him to go for diving lessons.[9] He began to learn diving at the Harrogate and District Diving Club at the Hydro.[10] He broke his upper arm when he was 14 during a trampolining competition, and had a metal plate inserted to hold his humerus bone together.[7]

Laugher has stated that his name is pronounced 'Law'.[11]

Diving career

Chris Mears and Jack Laugher at the 2016 Olympics in Rio

2010–2011

Laugher won the one-metre and three-metre springboard titles at the 2010 European Junior Championships and the 2010 World Junior Championships.[12]

In September 2010, he competed at the World Junior Championships in Tucson, Arizona and won gold at both the 1m and 3m springboard events.[13] In October that year, he represented England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he was partnered with Oliver Dingley in the synchro.[14][15]

Greg Louganis was reported as being impressed with Laugher's diving.[16]

2012–2015

In 2012, Laugher was selected for the Great Britain 2012 London Olympics team. On 6 August 2012, he competed in the Men's 3-metre springboard,[12] but he failed to make it to the semi-final stage. In October 2012, Laugher became the Junior World champion again, winning the 3m springboard in Adelaide, Australia.[17] He won the 3m Synchro competition with Tom Daley.[18]

Laugher first teamed up with Chris Mears in the 3-metre Springboard in 2013.[19] In October 2013 he took on the role of Ambassador for the sport of VX.[20]

In July 2014, he won bronze in the 3m springboard at the World Cup held in Shanghai.[21] Soon afterwards at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won the Gold medal in the 1m springboard, then a second gold in the 3m synchro with Chris Mears.[22]

At the 2015 World Championship in Kazan, Russia, Laugher and Mears won bronze in the 3m springboard synchro, thus qualifying for the Rio Olympics.[23] Laugher then won a second bronze in the individual 3m springboard, making him the first Briton to win two medals in a World Championships.[24]

2016 Olympics

In January 2016, Laugher suffered a foot injury while training.[25] In May 2016, he won the 3m synchronised springboard at the European Championships in London with Mears, and a silver in the individual 3m springboard.[26]

At the 2016 Olympics, Laugher and Mears became the first ever diving gold medal winners for Great Britain in the men's synchronised 3-metre springboard. first Olympic diving gold medal with victory in the men's synchronised 3m springboard in Rio. They scored 454.32, beating the American Sam Dorman and Michael Hixon (450.21) and the Chinese pair Qin Kai and Cao Yuan in bronze (443.70).[3] Laugher also won Silver medal in the individual 3-metre springboard.[4]

2017

Laugher and Mears won three silvers in the 3m Synchro in four events of the Fina/NVC Diving World Series, two in China[27] and one in Russia.[28] However they finished out of the medal position in fourth at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.[29]

2018

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, Australia, Laugher successfully defended his title on the 1m springboard[30] The next day, he added another gold after winning the 3m springboard event,[31] then followed it up with a third gold of the Games after winning the men's 3 metre synchronised springboard with Chris Mears.[32]

At the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow/Edinburgh, Laugher won gold in the men's 1 metre springboard.[33] He won a second gold in the men's 3 metre springboard,[34] and added a silver to this tally in the championships with a second place in the 3 metre synchro springboard with Chris Mears.[35]

Personal life

Laugher started dating Lois Toulson early 2017,[36] and he shares a flat with diving partner Chris Mears in Leeds.[37] Laugher is supportive of those who chose to be openly gay and said: "I have quite a few gay friends, just from school and people I've met through diving and my journey. Everyone should feel comfortable to be gay and be who they are."[38][39]

Honours

In 2016, Laugher won "Diver of the Year" at the British Swimming Awards[40].

Laugher, along with Mears, was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to diving.[41]

Diving achievements

Competition 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Olympics, 3m springboard synchronised1st
Olympics, 3m springboard27th2nd
World Championships, 1m springboard33rd19th
World Championships, 3m springboard7th16th3rd 5th
World Championships, 3m synchro3rd 4th
European Championships, 1m springboard1st
European Championships, 3m springboard6th2nd 1st
European Championships, 3m synchro1st 2nd
Commonwealth Games, 1m springboard1st 1st
Commonwealth Games, 3m springboard11th2nd 1st
Commonwealth Games, 3m synchro7th1st 1st
FINA World Cup, 3m springboard31st8th3rd 3rd
FINA World Cup, 3m synchro 5th 4th 2nd
World Junior Championships, 1m springboard1st
World Junior Championships, 3m springboard1st1st
World Junior Championships, 3m synchro10th1st
European Junior Championships, 1m springboard1st
European Junior Championships, 3m springboard1st
European Junior Championships, 3m synchro4th
European Junior Championships, 10m platform6th
British Championships, 3m springboard14th6th8th3rd1st1st
British Championships, 3m synchro2nd2nd
British Championships, 1m springboard3rd
British Championships, 10m platform8th2nd
British Gas National Cup, 1m springboard11th1st1st
British Gas National Cup, 3m springboard4th1st1st
British Gas National Cup, 3m synchro3rd

References

  1. 1 2 "Jack Laugher profile at". Sports Reference.
  2. ↑ "Bronze for Laugher and Mears". BBC Sport.
  3. 1 2 "Rio Olympics 2016: Jack Laugher and Chris Mears win historic diving gold". BBC Sport. 10 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Rio Olympics 2016: Jack Laugher wins silver in 3m springboard". BBC Sport. 16 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Laugher takes second bronze.
  6. ↑ "Six things you didn't know about Jack Laugher". ITV News. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Rayner, Gordon (11 August 2016). "Olympic diver Jack Laugher's dad missed out on his gold medal glory because he was too nervous to watch". The Daily Telegraph.
  8. ↑ "Jack the 'Man' is no longer Jack the Lad". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Brown, Jonathon (17 August 2016). "Exclusive: Mum's pride after 'incredible' Olympic rise of Jack Laugher – but it was nearly very different". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  10. ↑ "Jack Laugher family on his 'well deserved' Olympic gold". BBC. 11 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "Jack Laugher | Olympic Channel". olympicchannel.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Olympic selection joy for teenage diver Jack Laugher". BBC. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  13. ↑ Gilmour, Rod (4 September 2010). "Jack Laugher crowned Britain's first world junior diving champion for decade". The Daily Telegraph.
  14. ↑ Gilmour, Rod (11 October 2010). "Commonwealth Games 2010: Jack Laugher proves he has potential to hit diving heights". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  15. ↑ Bone, Holly (15 August 2016). "Ripon's Jack Laugher takes on former team member and Harrogate diver in Rio". Harrogate Advertiser.
  16. ↑ "Greg Louganis hails emergence of British diving's Jack Laugher and Tom Daley". The Daily Telegraph. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  17. ↑ Hope, Nick (8 October 2012). "Britain's Jack Laugher dives to 3m world junior title". BBC Sports.
  18. ↑ Hope, Nick (9 October 2012). "Tom Daley and Jack Laugher dive to World Junior gold". BBC Sports.
  19. ↑ "Diving World Championships: GB divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears fail to make final". Sky Sports. 25 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Jack plans to make waves in new role as VX Ambassasdor". Ripon Gazette. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "Diving: Jack Laugher wins bronze at World Cup in China". BBC Sports. 19 July 2014.
  22. ↑ Reid, Alasdair (1 August 2014). "Commonwealth Games 2014: Jack Laugher and Chris Mears take diving gold for England". The Daily Telegraph.
  23. ↑ "Jack Laugher and Chris Mears take bronze in Kazan to qualify for Olympics". The Guardian. Press Association. 28 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Laugher claims second bronze". Sporting Life. 31 July 2015.
  25. ↑ Hope, Nick; Arnold, Tanya. "Euro Aquatics: Jack Laugher 'confident' despite injury struggles". BBC Sport.
  26. ↑ Hope, Nick (13 May 2016). "Jack Laugher & Chris Mears win gold at European Championships". BBC Sport.
  27. ↑ "Chris Mears & Jack Laugher win second World Series silver in Guangzhou". BBC Sport. 9 March 2017.
  28. ↑ "Chris Mears & Jack Laugher Secured 3m Synchro Silver Medal in Russia". SwimSwam. 31 March 2017.
  29. ↑ "Olympic champions Laugher and Mears fall short – but there's a new City of Leeds duo to celebrate". Yorkshire Post. 16 July 2017.
  30. ↑ "Jack Laugher wins gold in 1m springboard to defend Commonwealth diving title". The Guardian. 11 April 2018.
  31. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: England's Jack Laugher wins 3m springboard gold". BBC Sport. 12 April 2018.
  32. ↑ "North Yorkshire diver Jack Laugher wins his third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games". ITV. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  33. ↑ Sharland, Pete (7 August 2018). "Jack Laugher takes 1m Springboard gold". Eurosport.
  34. ↑ "European Championships 2018: Jack Laugher wins second diving gold in Glasgow". BBC Sport. 9 August 2018.
  35. ↑ "European Championships: Jack Laugher and Chris Mears win diving silver". BBC Sport. 10 August 2018.
  36. ↑ 13 July 2017, Ben. "Jack Laugher and Chris Mears back on track after Olympic gold almost ended career". The Daily Telegraph.
  37. ↑ Rayner, Gordon (16 August 2016). "Get ready for Terrific Tuesday as Team GB targets six gold medals at the Rio Olympics". The Daily Telegraph.
  38. ↑ Scott Roberts (31 October 2013). "Olympic diver Jack Laugher: I wouldn't mind being an openly gay diver". Pink News.
  39. ↑ "Brit diver, Jack Laugher, on gay athletes, homophobia and the Sochi Olympics". Lustral Boy. 2 November 2013.
  40. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGd9HZ4LikA
  41. ↑ "Team GB stars dominate New Year's Honours List". Team GB. 30 December 2016.
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