Harrogate incredibly 'proud' of Jack Laugher after gold medal victory at Commonwealth Games

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The Commonwealth triumph at Birmingham - his third one-metre springboard gold medal at Commonwealth Games - tops off a great summer for Jack Laugher MBE, who was mentored by Harrogate District Diving Club coach Damian Ball in his very early years of diving at the Harrogate Hydro.

When added to the three medals he won at the World Championships in June, Laugher's latest success reinforces his credentials as one of the greatest springboard divers of all time.

Leanne Jalland, chair of Harrogate District Diving Club, said: "We are incredibly proud of Jack, he is not just a talented athlete but an excellent ambassador for diving as a sport.

"Our divers will be eagerly watching and cheering him on during his next events on 3m.

"It's great to see so much British talent on show during the 2022 Commonwealth Games to inspire the next generation of young divers"

Former Ripon Grammar School pupil Laugher, 27, claimed gold in 2014 at Glasgow and on the Gold Coast in 2018 but started the year with doubts over his prospects at the age of 27as he battled with mental demons after nearly a decade at the very top of the diving world.

But, in an incredible show of mental resilience, Laugher has managed to put all his struggles behind him in recent months.

In the early stages at Birmingham, Laugher had been in bronze medal position with his teammate 24-year-old team mate Jordan Houlden from City of Sheffield Diving Club in first place for a time.

But a calm head and a score of 79.90 on his fourth dive - a perfectly-executed inward two-and-a-half somersaults in pike - saw Laugher finish 10 points ahead of Australia's two-time world champion Li Shixin.

A delighted Jack Laugher told the press after his gold medal victory: "I'm feeling great. There was loads of pressure coming into here trying to defend that title that I've had for what, eight years now.

"I'm really, really happy with everything, and to do it in front of a home crowd obviously makes it a little more sweeter."

Harrogate District Diving Club is currently training Shipley Pool for its pool sessions while the Hydro in Harrogate is closed for refurbishment.

The club also offers dryland sessions at Jennyfields Community Centre where it is fortunate to have a dry diving board to keep training.

In a mark of the high esteem in which Jack is held locally, February saws the opening of the brand new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon boasting a six-lane 25 metre pool and a 55-station, state-of-the-art gym offering a full range of the latest strength and cardiovascular Technogym equipment.

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