There’s life in me yet – Jack Laugher relishing ‘old soul’ role in diving team
Laugher made his Olympic debut in London 2012 at the age of 17.
He is yet to turn 30 but Jack Laugher insists he is revelling in the role of an “old soul” as prepares to head into his fourth Olympics in Paris.
Having emerged unscathed from a tumultuous Tokyo cycle, the 2016 diving gold medallist hopes a wiser approach will pay dividends alongside his new synchro diving partner Anthony Harding, who will be competing at his first Games in the French capital.
“I feel like I give that fatherly feel to the team,” laughed Laugher, a relative veteran who made his Olympic debut in London 2012 at the age of 17, where he failed to reach the semi-final stage.
Laugher has been candid about struggles with his mental health in the belated build-up to Tokyo, a Games in which the addition of an individual bronze to his medal collection did not entirely alleviate the sense of something missing in an event played out in front of mainly empty stands.
“I had a bumpy road leading up to Tokyo, my mental state was in a bad place so in a way having no fans there might have taken the pressure off me a little bit, but it also felt like a flat competition in that respect,” added Laugher.
“But I feel like I overcame all that stuff really well, and I’m in a much better place right now. I’m really enjoying my sport at the moment and I feel like I’ve got plenty of time still to go.”
Laugher linked up with Harding after splitting with his former partner Dan Goodfellow, with whom he finished a disappointing seventh in Tokyo, and the new pair forged a successful partnership almost immediately, winning a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships as well as gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
“I’m not as young as I was and that makes it more difficult, but I’m resigned to knowing things are going to get slightly slower and more difficult,” said Laugher.
“I’ve achieved what every athlete wants to achieve, an Olympic gold medal, which means that every time I go and compete now it’s a bit of a blessing. But that doesn’t mean I’m not looking to add to that tally, and dreaming of being on that podium and winning it again.”
“My music tastes have changed massively,” said Laugher. “I don’t like to be in that elevated state of all guns blazing, it’s not the state I like to compete in any more. I’m into a lot of easy listening, whereas Anthony has just turned 24 and is into all the sort of stuff that I could no longer care less about.”
:: Jack Laugher MBE is one of Old El Paso Home’s Team Heroes and features in the brand’s latest campaign Make Some Noise for your Home Team, showcasing the unique flavours everyone brings to the table
