Malaysian diver finishes last after spectacular belly flop in final round

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:14 p.m. ET

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Pete Blackburn

Ahmad Amsyar Azman had himself a rough day at the pool on Monday. The Malaysian diver finished dead last in the preliminary round of the 3m springboard diving event at the Rio Olympics, coming in 29th place out of 29 competitors.

Azman, who sat in 12th place after five rounds, was totally undone by his sixth and final dive of the day, during which he painfully executed a cringeworthy belly flop into the water below.

Azman made a critical mistake during the jumping process, landing far to the side of the board as he began his launch. After that, he just couldn't make the dive work and saw his chances slip away as he body slapped into the pool.

The disastrous attempt earned the diver just 9.75 points and, with only the top 18 advancing to the semis, a dejected and heartbroken Azman knew he was toast after that.

“I knew then that it was over as there was no way for me to make the semi-final,” he said after the event, according to the New Straits Times.

It's always gut-wrenching to watch athletes who have trained for years and years miss out on their medal dreams because of one simple slip-up, but those are the stakes at the Olympics. Hopefully Azman can turn this brutal mistake into an eventual redemption story.

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