Harrogate diver Jack Laugher able to relax after ensuring place at 2024 Paris Olympics

Jack Laugher, left, and Anthony Harding of Team Great Britain won silver in the Men’s Synchronized 3m Springboard on day two of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan. Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

He already has an Olympic medal of every colour and is one of the most highly decorated British divers of all time, yet Harrogate’s Jack Laugher is the first to admit he still feels the pressure.

Like the sort that builds on his shoulders ahead of a world championship, when a spot at the next Olympics is on the line.

That was exactly the case for Laugher and his City of Leeds clubmate Anthony Harding on Saturday going into the final of the 3m synchro springboard at the World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.

After an injury-hit build-up, the former Ripon Grammar School pupil, now 28, was taking nothing for granted and was as nervous as he always gets.

Jack Laugher, left, and Anthony Harding of Team Great Britain compete in the Men's Synchronized 3m Springboard Preliminaries on day two of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Good job he and 23-year-old Harding performed, then, the Yorkshire duo winning a silver medal – their second successive world championship silver to go with a European title and a Commonwealth Games gold in a little over a year – which came with the added significance of guaranteeing Team GB an Olympic spot in the men’s 3m synchro at Paris 2024.

Even for a diver of Laugher’s calibre, who debuted in London as a teenager, won a historic gold and silver in Rio and a bronze in Tokyo, the achievement is an important one.

"It's a massive weight off our shoulders,” said Laugher, who will contest the 3m individual later in the week.

“It means we can have a proper pre-season, we don't have to rush into that competition [February's World Championships in Doha], because it's so early on in February. That causes quite a bit of stress and knowing that's your last chance saloon can be quite difficult.

"Luckily for me, this is Olympics number four and I've never had to get to that position before, so I'm really happy to have done it today.

“For me and Anthony, we've not talked too much about it, we don't want to make it into a bigger deal than it is but we've both been stressed and it's a really difficult thing, especially when you've got the French also getting a medal which knocks one qualifying place off today's competition.

"So it's difficult – but we are athletes, we got through it, we're warriors and we've done our job."