Silver lining for Mitcham at Games

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By Andrew Tilley

Australian diving star and Sydney University student Matthew Mitcham has once again had to settle for silver, his fourth of the Commonwealth Games, this time being pipped for gold by English sensation Tom Daley in the 10m platform event overnight.

With both Mitcham and Daley neck–and-neck for the entire event, and daylight third, it came down to the final dive. After Daley pulled off a sensational dive for a score of 94.05 the pressure was on  the Australian. Mitcham’s dive wasn’t one of his best and he knew it.

“I blew it,” Mitcham said. “I gave it away, which I really didn’t want to do. I was so close to winning. I knew that if I did a good dive I could win and if I did a bad dive, I would have lost it. I knew that I blew it as soon as I did it.”

Daley, with a total score of 538.35, took gold, while Mitcham scored 509.15 to take silver.  The Sydney University Elite Athlete Program member, who is currently in his second year of a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree, has also won silver in the 10m synchronised platform, 1m springboard and the 3m synchronised springboard in Delhi.

Despite another case of so close, yet so far, Mitcham believes with just a little bit work and some luck, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2012 might prove to be more golden.

”I was leading at one stage in every single event that I did. It shows that, even though I didn’t win anything, that all it will take is just a little bit more work and I could potentially win everything. I could be the next Greg Louganis,” he said.

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