Cao Yuan (CHN) – gold, men’s 10m
“I just focused on my jumps, not the scores. I got a medal at the last Olympics, so I know how to deal with the pressure. I am a really quiet person. My coach always asks me to stay calm and stable, but I am actually excited. I didn’t think too much about the eight medals. I focused on myself. I’m happy to help China gain the final gold. It’s historical, congratulations to China.”
“I think [Yang Hao, my teammate and 2024 world champion who finished 12th] was a little nervous or stressed, at his first Olympics. He’s not as experienced. Being calm is an important skill.”
Rikuto Tamai (JPN) – silver, men’s 10m
“I put all my soul into this performance. When I went under the water, I felt pressure, but when I came up again, I would hear the sound from the crowd, and I knew I’d done well. Everybody said, ‘You did it’. I was amazed by myself. I wanted gold. There was tension up until the fourth dive, but it disappeared when I became a chaser, trying to catch up. I loved the feeling after that – trying to beat China. I want to win a gold medal. I can do it next time. I am on the right track. Next time will be gold. Now I’m going to hang out and eat yakiniku [barbecued meat].”
Noah Williams (GBR) – bronze, men’s 10m
“I’m pretty shocked. I did bad earlier [in the morning’s semifinal]. I don’t feel like I didn’t deserve to get in the final. I feel like I am among those boys…but to medal is obviously a whole different thing. The fact that I did just make it, it was like ‘there’s nothing to lose now'. There was no pressure on me. It played to my advantage going first, because I could only focus on myself. It was kind of like training, [to] go up there by myself.
After the competition, synchro partner Tom Daley “said, ‘Well done, do you believe it?’ And I said, ‘Not really, I think it feels like a bit of a dream'. And then I got ushered away to the podium. I’m sure I’ll spend lots of time with him later.”
“My mental health has always been pretty bad. I’ve struggled with mental health a long time. I’ve been on antidepressants for a few years, so even without the grievance of Dave [Jenkins, who died in 2021], my coach, I think it’s just something I have to live with. I’m just sad quite a lot of the time. But that doesn’t stop me from getting up and training, because one of the only times I’m not sad is when I’m competing. It’s probably the adrenaline rush. I mean it’s not like… I turn up to a pool, and suddenly I’m happy. I guess it’s my form of therapy, just competing.”