Tokyo Olympics: Top-10 finish for Huddersfield diver Lois Toulson, who now targets Paris

The 21-year-old reached the final of the 10m platform, following last week’s seventh place in the 10m synchro, but again could not quite hit her best form.

A ninth-place finish overall was not a bad return for the Huddersfield diver, but not as good as she had hoped and she admitted: “I feel very tired. It definitely wasn’t the performance that I wanted to finish on but there was definitely some good stuff to take away from it.

“I’ve been very consistent over the three competitions which is a good thing. That’s something I’ve been working on so there are positives to take away but I’m disappointed overall.

“I’ve definitely found it quite hard, not just physically. It’s 51 stairs up to 10 metres and I don’t know how many 10-metre dives I must have done just going up and down.

“But mentally as well, it’s a really tough sport, I think some people under-estimate how challenging it can be. I will use it as experience for the future and there are better things to come.

“Obviously it has been tough for everyone but I’ve been through a lot of things coming my way and I’ve come through that which I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward to the next few years and getting ready for Paris.”

An over-rotation on her second dive proved costly for Toulson, who was always up against it in the chase for a medal, with Chinese pair Quan Hongchang and Chen Yuxi well clear at the top.

It was 14-year-old Quan who took gold, with two dives receiving perfect 10s across the board to leave those in attendance gasping in awe.

Toulson added: “She was incredible. She makes diving look very easy – and it’s not! She was incredible to watch.

“The Chinese have always been at the top. It’s usually a fight for the bronze because the Chinese are first and second.

“They literally live at the pool, eat, breathe and sleep diving. It’s quite different to the rest of the world but it’s incredible they can go out and do things like that. I’m just in awe of them.”

Toulson was not the only British diver in the final, with 16-year-old Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, daughter of TV star Fred Sirieix, also in action.

She finished seventh on her Olympic debut, with Toulson backing her for a big future. “Andrea was really good and has always been positive to me as well. In the future on the right stage, she is going to be a very good medal shot.”

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