French Olympic diver Alexis Jandard was seen suffering an awkward fall on his diving board at the opening ceremony of the newly built Paris Olympic Games Aquatics Centre.
The ceremony took place on Thursday and was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron to open the £154 million (€180 million) purpose-built Aquatic Centre, located near the Stade de France in Saint-Germain. Dennis.
The 26-year-old diver, who has qualified for the 2024 Olympics, was seen in a video preparing to somersault into the pool with two other athletes as part of the celebrations.
Jandard, who won silver in the team event alongside Jade Gillet at the World Aquatics Championships in 2022, was seen bouncing up and down on his board before landing awkwardly on his right foot.
He subsequently appeared to lose his balance and fell backwards onto his lower back.
French Olympic diver Alexis Jandard fell on his diving board during a ceremony on Thursday
It happened during the opening ceremony of the Aquatic Center of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
The jumper, who represented France at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men’s three-meter springboard event, fell head over heels into the water below him.
Jandard won bronze in the world synchronized 3-meter springboard at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last year.
Speaking after the fall, Jandard assured fans that he was not injured by the incident and saw the lighter side of his fall.
“I want to reassure you immediately: there is no problem,” he told a French media outlet. RMC sport.
‘Everything’s fine. I wasn’t hurt, these are things that happen unfortunately. He came at a time when I wasn’t expecting him at all. These are things that happen but usually don’t happen to me. I’ve broken boards before, but the board has never broken me.’
Speaking about why he lost his balance, he added: “I got to my footing and my leg gave way. I didn’t slip or anything.
‘Then I fell on the board. It is non-slip and also the board was new, beautiful and I think my back is still resting on the board. Small dangers.
‘Plus, it was live, so obviously we ended up like that. It’s a shame but it’s funny. When you take a step back, it’s funny.”
The Aquatics Center is the only permanent sports structure to be built for the 2024 Games and will be able to accommodate 5,000 spectators with the addition of another 2,000 removable seats.
The new building will host water polo, diving and synchronized swimming competitions and, after the games, will be used for the Paralympic Games swimming events.
Speaking at the ceremony, Macron praised those who helped build the new facilities, according to French media. RFI: ‘There is a great human chain that has made it possible to build this center.
President Emmanuel Macron was present and attended the opening ceremony.
The Aquatics Center is the only permanent sports structure to be built for the 2024 Games
Jandard won bronze in the world synchronized 3m springboard at the 2023 World Swimming Championships
The new center is the only permanent sports structure to be built for the 2024 Games.
‘The elected representatives and local authorities who fund it along with the government and all government departments that have overseen the project.
“And I would like to congratulate our architects, the contractors and the thousands of officers who worked on it.”
Macron added: “We will train our future champions here in these groups and we will be able to practice other sports here.”
“You can be proud of what you have around here.”
The diving events at this summer’s Games will take place between July 27 and August 10.