Mitcham bombs out of 10m dive event

25 Feb 2012, 11:30 pm   -   Source: AAP

Olympic diving champion Matthew Mitcham has received a reality check by missing out on the 10m final at the test event for the London Games.

Olympic diving champion Matthew Mitcham blamed his lack of condition for bombing out in the 10m platform at the test event for the London Games.

The Beijing gold medallist failed to make Saturday night's 12-man final after messing up two of his six dives in the semi-final.

In only his second international competition in ten months, Mitcham posted 414.70 points to finish 13th behind Chinese pace-setter Qiu Bo (565.50).

Mitcham said his lack of upper-body strength led to his toes clipping the platform with his second dive.

"Just enough to knock me off balance so I cart-wheeled out of it," he said.

The Australian has only been training without pain for two months following an injury-riddled 2011.

"The technique I use for my arm stand requires a lot of upper body strength and I have just not developed that yet," he said.

"It was a very small problem but it cost me a lot of points.

"If that had not happened it would have been smooth sailing.

"So when I go home I need to build up all that strength that I am lacking."

Mitcham was not surprised with his semi-final performance despite impressing in qualifying fourth from the preliminary round.

"After eight short weeks of injury free training, I should not be scoring 520 which I normally do," he said.

"It will all come. I am not worried."

Mitcham felt he had adapted to the quirks of the Olympic venue this week.

"I have been trying to adjust to the pool, there are a few different things to get used too," he said.

"The fact that there is no 5m (diving board) right beneath the 10m means it is quite hard for me to judge just how high I am in some of my dives.

"So that is one of little creature comfort things you like to have at pools but something which you have to adapt to."

Mitcham is due to fly home shortly to prepare for the Olympic trials in Adelaide from April 2-4.

He was not worried about his disrupted build-up to London, having only returned to the sport 15 months before his momentous victory in Beijing.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube