Jack Laugher wants gold for gran

Laugher’s mom Jackie was born and raised in Sedgley, the place where his grandmother Bernice resided her entire life.

The latter’s sad passing earlier this year is now providing added motivation as he heads to Birmingham 2022 aiming to add to his haul of five Commonwealth Games gold medals.

“I want to bring it home for my grandma, who passed away a couple of months ago,” explained Laugher.

“It’s been a very emotional time. She followed my career so closely and when I went to her home recently, I saw all the photographs she had up of my achievements. I want to do this for her.”

Laugher, yesterday unveiled as one of the two Team England flagbearers at tomorrow night’s opening ceremony alongside weightlifter Emily Campbell, is understandably associated most closely with Yorkshire and most particularly Ripon, where they recently named a leisure centre after him.

But his life featured regular trips to the Black Country and he credits his grandmother with helping him become the man he is today.

“She was always very supportive in all I’ve done,” he said. “I’ve made some choices through my career, such as opting not to go to university and instead do diving.

“She was always there to have my back. She was a great figurehead in my family and someone I always looked up to, very bubbly, very honest but also emotionally very open as well.

“She has always been there and the way she held herself and the values she taught me were very important in shaping the person I am today.”

An outbreak of Covid in the family meant Laugher, who was preparing for June’s world championships, was unable to attend the funeral.

“The risk was too high, unfortunately,” he said. “It was the right decision because both my mom and dad tested positive. Sometimes you have to put your professional sport ahead of things.

“It was very difficult knowing that and dealing with that but I think she followed my career so closely and she was so supportive in everything that I’ve done.”

Laugher explained how mom Jackie, who will have a poolside seat for the action as head recorder in the diving events, learned to swim herself in Sandwell and he is acutely aware of the impact the new £73million Aquatics Centre will have on the area and community.

“It is a fantastic place, it has to be one of the best centres in the entire country, for diving especially,” said Laugher, who has spent recent days training at the venue with the rest of the England squad.

“We have very few large centres for diving and it is only a matter of luck I was born 25 minutes from a diving pool.

“I could have been born here and wouldn’t have had those opportunities. Now it has opened the gateway to a whole new spectrum of people. It is a fantastic facility and one I hope will be pivotal for a long time within British diving.”

“My mom will be poolside,” he continued. “Her job is to write down all the scores manually, just incase there is a problem with the computer.

“She got into it through nerves. When I was younger she used to write down all the scores and realised she could be on poolside doing similar things and helping out.

“She did it at London 2012 and has been part of the diving family for a long time as well. It isn’t unusual for me to see her on poolside. But she will have the best seats in the house. Any major competition in the UK she is there. Which is cool.”

The Birmingham Games will be Laugher’s fourth Commonwealths and though still aged only 27 and with ambitions of competing until at least the Los Angeles Olympics, it is fair to describe him as a veteran competitor.

After winning three gold medals on the Gold Coast four years ago, he will again be the man to beat in the 1 metre and 3m springboard competitions, while he will also defend his title in the 3m synchro springboard - the competition in which he won Olympic gold in Rio - with new partner Anthony Harding.

The duo won silver at the world championships and Laugher quipped: “This is Anthony's first Commonwealth Games, so there’s no pressure on him!

"Winning gold is always the target. I would like to try and defend my titles but in the four years since the Gold Coast the rest of the world has definitely improved, especially within the home nations.

“We have some really big names now and people who can hold their own on a world level. It helps push me further. It is great for the sport, great for England and the UK."

He continued: “There is definitely a buzz about this city. The volunteers, who are mainly from this area, are really excited.

“They are extremely friendly people who are helping. They are volunteers at the end of the day, doing this to be a part of it.

“I think the entire city is excited and honoured to have a huge Games in their city. I think Birmingham is really going to showcase some amazing sport over the next few weeks.

"Being chosen as a flagbearer is a massive honour. There have been some unbelievable names who have done it before me. To be now considered among them is a massive honour I will carry for the rest of my life, not just for myself but my sport as well. I am always representing diving. I can't wait to get out there."