Jack Laugher has revealed to Sports Mole that he is "hurt" by missing out on a Commonwealth Games gold medal in his strongest diving event - the 3m springboard.
After winning gold in the 1m discipline last night, 19-year-old Laugher, who is ranked number two in the world at 3m, was expected to comfortably win for a second night on the bounce at Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool.
However, a poor score on his fifth and hardest dive, a forward four-and-a-half somersault, saw him fall behind Malaysia's Ooi Tze Liang and he couldn't produce a big score in the final round to move back into the gold-medal position.
He finished with 449.70, which was way down on his personal best and 7.90 shy of Liang's final total.
He now wants to put the "hurt" behind him and produce a good performance in his final event of the Games - tomorrow's 3m synchronised event, where he competes with Chris Mears.
"This definitely makes me want to go for it that little bit more with Chris tomorrow," he told SM. "It hurt a little bit finishing second, but like I said, the guy who won it dived absolutely amazing and hats off to him because he put out an absolute stormer.
"It is my main event, I'm a little bit disappointed with the score because this year I've been going over 500 quite easily so it's just one of those days I guess.
"I'll take it, I'll take the hurt and I'll put it aside and take what I can from it and make myself better."
Laugher's teammate Oliver Dingley will join him on the podium later this evening after finishing in third position.
On Dingley, Laugher added: "I didn't even realise, but yeah brilliant. Wow that's great.
"He's been doing really well this year and he's had a really really solid event today. I'm really happy for him, especially as we're from the same club back in Harrogate."
Laugher and Mears's 3m synchro event takes place at lunchtime tomorrow.
Pascal Lemesre
