An elite French diver made an embarrassing mistake this week at the opening ceremony of a prestigious Olympic venue in Paris ahead of the Summer Games.
With a price tag of over $160 million, the Olympic Aquatics Center is the premier venue Permanent sports facility only Built for gaming. It will host swimming, water polo and diving during the Paris 2024 Summer Games in front of nearly 5,000 fans from around the world.
Its grand opening gala created a sensation, but not exactly what organizers — or diver Alexis Gandar — intended.
Jandar, along with other Olympic divers, participated in the event to demonstrate why they were chosen to represent France in the upcoming Games. They took turns displaying exemplary precision while jumping from the 10-metre diving board, some 33 feet above the pool deck, in front of French President Emmanuel Macron and other dignitaries.
Reuters/Metropole du Grand Paris
But when Jannard climbed onto the bottom board and made the first bounce of his dive, he lost his balance and fell, hitting the board with his back and then his butt before bouncing back into the pool.
The 26-year-old took the flop smoothly, poking fun at his misfortune on social media and sharing a photo of the scratches on his back along with messages of thanks for all the support he has received.
“For the record, my back is fine, but my ego is…” he joked.
Jandar also made the rounds on French television, saying he was glad the stroke of bad luck made people laugh so much.
He is set to return to the 3m board during the Summer Games – and will be looking to turn a rocky start into a gold medal.
The Olympic Games begin in the French capital on July 26 and continue until August 11.
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