Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / DIVING
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Olympics | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Snooker | Horse Racing | Cycling | Paralympics | Sport Relief | Other sport... | TV/Radio Schedule | 606 | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Olympics Contents:  Results | Medals table | Olympics map | Team GB | Meet Monkey | Archery | Athletics | Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Boxing | Canoeing | Cycling | Diving | Equestrian | Fencing | Football | Gymnastics | Handball | Hockey | Judo | Modern Pentathlon | Rowing | Sailing | Shooting | Softball | Swimming | Table Tennis | Taekwondo | Tennis | Triathlon | Volleyball | Weightlifting | Wrestling | Paralympics | London 2012

16:03 GMT, Friday, 8 August 2008 17:03 UK

Diver Aldridge in bid for medal

Synchronised diver Blake Aldridge admits his hard work has paid off as he prepares to represent GB in Beijing.

The Londoner told BBC London 94.9: "It's finally happened after 21 years of work. Obviously I've trained so hard for so long. I've missed out on a few."

The 26-year-old has been paired up with youngster Tom Daley in Monday's 10m synchronised diving.

"Luckily I've been paired up with Tom and results have shown that we're a world force and we're finally there."

Talking about his relationship with the 14-year-old, Aldridge added: "I'm like an older brother, a bit of a father figure when he's away. I try to look after him.

"I'm also a bit of a mentor. I try to guide him in the right direction. We have a great relationship, we get on brilliantly.

"At the end of the day Tom's the young kid. It's good for British diving. I'm getting more coverage than I was ever getting before.

"We're not going to compete for second place"
Blake Aldridge

"It doesn't really faze me. If we get an Olympic medal than all of that can be put aside."

Aldridge believes he is in the best shape he has ever been and says that him and partner Daley are not there to compete for second place, despite it being their first Olympic competition.

"There's every chance you can get a medal. We're not going to compete for second place at the end of the day but there's the pressure of an Olympic Games.

"We're just going to go and lap up the experience.

"All the hard work and all the days you don't want to get out of bed and train, it puts everything into perspective. It's an amazing feeling, you can't describe it."



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:

First GB athletes arrive in China (28 Jul 08 |  Olympics )
Profile: GB Beijing hopeful Tom Daley (07 Jul 08 |  Diving )
Brits to watch: Tom Daley (04 Aug 08 |  Diving )
Diving chief fears Daley burn-out (23 Jul 08 |  Diving )
Aldridge & Daley lay down marker (27 May 08 |  Diving )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Beijing 2008
Olympics blog
Team GB for Beijing
IOC
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

Sport Homepage | Olympics | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Snooker | Horse Racing | Cycling | Paralympics | Sport Relief | Other sport... | TV/Radio Schedule | 606 | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Olympics Contents:  Results | Medals table | Olympics map | Team GB | Meet Monkey | Archery | Athletics | Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Boxing | Canoeing | Cycling | Diving | Equestrian | Fencing | Football | Gymnastics | Handball | Hockey | Judo | Modern Pentathlon | Rowing | Sailing | Shooting | Softball | Swimming | Table Tennis | Taekwondo | Tennis | Triathlon | Volleyball | Weightlifting | Wrestling | Paralympics | London 2012

^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©