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British diving superstar Tom Daley has shared photos of his wedding to new husband Dustin Lance Black after the pair married at Bovey Castle, near Plymouth, Devon, on Saturday.
The BBC reported the Olympian tied the knot with the U.S. film director close to Daley's home city of Plymouth.
Daley and Black both shared images of the day via social media:
The couple originally announced their engagement in 2015, according to the BBC.
Daley won bronze medals at the Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro, instantly making him a huge celebrity in the UK.
Black has been a major success in his field of work, capturing the best original screenplay Oscar for the 2008 film Milk.
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One of the world's most recognizable and accomplished free divers is feared dead, as Natalia Molchanova disappeared Sunday during what was supposed to be a routine dive off the coast of Spain.
According to Adam Skolnick of the New York Times, the 53-year-old Russian never surfaced after diving into the Balearic Sea. Although search teams have vigorously attempted to find some sign of the 23-time world champion, they have been unsuccessful thus far.
Kimmo Lahtinen, who is the president of the free diving governing body AIDA, expressed disbelief with regard to Molchanova's disappearance, per Skolnick.
"She was a free-diving superstar, and we all thought nothing could harm her," Lahtinen said. "Nothing could happen to her, but, you know, we are playing with the ocean, and when you play with the ocean, you know who is the strongest one."
Lahtinen wasn't the only one who reacted to the vanishing of the woman who holds a remarkable 41 free-diving world records. Fellow free-diving star William Trubridge paid Molchanova the ultimate compliment on Twitter:
Competitive free diver Ben Noble was left shocked and saddened by the incident as well:
Molchanova's family also released a statement highlighting her love for the sport of free diving, courtesy of CNN:
According to CNN's Tiffany Ap, Molchanova once dove to a depth of 331 feet and held her breath underwater for more than nine minutes, which makes her disappearance all the more vexing.
Regardless of whether the mystery surrounding Molchanova will ever be solved, her legacy as an all-time great free diver is firmly cemented, and she will forever be remembered by those who follow and take part in the sport.
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Tom Daley qualified for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships individual 10 metre platform final on Saturday.
Daley finished third in Saturday's semi-final to qualify for Sunday's showpiece, and by reaching the final he has also ensured Team GB will have a place in the event at 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The 21-year-old reached the semis after finishing ninth out of 48 in the day's earlier preliminary round.
Here are Daley's results from Saturday:
| Dive | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dive 1 | 86.40 | 86.40 |
| Dive 2 | 86.40 | 172.80 |
| Dive 3 | 78.75 | 251.55 |
| Dive 4 | 94.35 | 345.90 |
| Dive 5 | 81.60 | 427.50 |
| Dive 6 | 97.20 | 524.70 |
| Dive | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dive 1 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
| Dive 2 | 72.00 | 152.00 |
| Dive 3 | 89.25 | 241.25 |
| Dive 4 | 66.60 | 307.85 |
| Dive 5 | 86.70 | 394.55 |
| Dive 6 | 72.00 | 466.55 |
By his own standards, Daley produced a fairly mixed preliminary round but nevertheless cruised through.
After a strong start with 80.00 in his opening dive, Daley then scored 72.00 in his second effort.
However, as British Swimming noted on Twitter, the relatively low score was understandable:
An armstand dive in his third earned Daley his highest score of the round, but a forward 4.5 in his fourth saw him record a score of just 66.60.
The Englishman was never lower than ninth on the overall leaderboard though, so his qualification for the semis was never in doubt.
A reverse 3.5 with tuck earned him a solid score of 86.70, and a back 3.5 piked produced another 72.00 as he sailed through the round.
Daley was much improved in the semi-finals and began the round well with two consistent scores:
An armstand back triple somersault in his third was the only disappointment of the round, as he scored 78.75, but Daley responded magnificently with his best dive of the day so far, getting 94.35 for his forward 4.5 with tuck.
A solid fifth dive left the Englishman fourth with one dive to go, and the 2009 champion saved the best until last to secure third place:
According to BBC Sport's Nick Hope, Daley is hoping for a repeat of the final in Rome six years ago. He said: "I've just got to have fun because that's what I remember having in 2009. I wasn't thinking about any of the pressures and just went out there and enjoyed it, so hopefully I can do that again."
Having dived so well on Saturday, Daley will surely be in contention for a medal in the final on Sunday.
However, the 21-year-old will face stiff competition in the face of China's Yang Jian and Qiu Bo.
The latter in particular was in red-hot form on Saturday, so expect him to claim the gold ahead of Daley in Sunday's final.
Qiu Bo is becoming a permanent fixture at the top of diving's world championship standings.
The Chinese diver continues to follow in a long line of national success in securing individual victories. Qiu's recent 10-metre platform win in Barcelona marks his second consecutive world championship success and gave China its ninth gold medal in 10 events at the Spanish competition.
Qiu nearly managed perfect dives on his fifth and sixth attempts, underlining his place at the top with a quick dabble into the sensational. Although this wasn't the highest-scoring contest, competition for silver and bronze remained close right until the end.
Let's take a look at the top athletes' overall score and best individual marks, courtesy of FINA.org:
| Rank | Diver | Nationality | Best Individual Dive | Total Score |
| 1 | Qiu Bo | China | 110.70 | 581.00 |
| 2 | David Boudia | USA | 91.80 | 517.40 |
| 3 | Sascha Klein | Germany | 90.00 | 508.55 |
| 4 | German Sanchez | Mexico | 96.20 | 506.35 |
| 5 | Ivan Garcia | Mexico | 104.55 | 502.75 |
| 6 | Tom Daley | Great Britain | 99.00 | 470.60 |
Analysis
As the table shows, Qiu Bo absolutely destroyed the rest of the competition across six dives. His second-best score came in at 108.00 on his fifth attempt, and the Chinese superstar averaged 96.83 across the entire final. When you consider David Boudia and Sascha Klein failed to beat this in any single dive, Qiu's brilliance is somewhat amplified.
German Sanchez remained on Klein's coattails but failed to overhaul his opposition in the latter stages. Klein scored a cool 90.00 with his final effort and narrowly overcame the Mexican's attempts to secure a bronze medal.
Ivan Garcia also just missed out for the Mexican contingent. His best score of 104.55 was the only dive to challenge Qiu on a single basis but proved too little on his fifth attempt. An opening disappointment of 64.75 had already left Garcia firmly up against it and with little time to rescue his overall score. Although the teenager's late haul of points was certainly gutsy, Garcia's mistakes proved pivotal in the Spanish sun.
Great Britain's Tom Daley will also leave Barcelona with a number of lingering thoughts. The 19-year-old suffered a triceps injury in the run up to the competition, as reported by BBC Sport's Nick Hope, but came within two dives of landing a medal.
Despite Daley's individual best of 99.00 arriving on his third attempt, he was unable to maintain momentum heading into the latter half of the final. Daley posted 68.40 and 61.05 during dives five and six, leaving him well behind the overall tally.
Qiu Bo deservedly wrapped up another title with not only the strongest performance but also the most consistent. Will anybody be able to stop the 20-year-old star, and indeed, China's unbelievable array of diving talent?
Tom Daley should be applauded for his sixth-place finish at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona.
Despite being one of the favourites whenever he steps onto the 10m platform, the English diver battled through an imperfect preparation and injury to post a decent showing in Spain. As tweeted by BBC Sport, China's Qiu Bo took gold while Olympic champion and semifinal leader David Boudia was ousted to second:
Upon finishing sixth, Daley confirmed himself as one of the sport's toughest competitors. The 19-year-old tore his upper triceps just days before entering the Barcelona competition and still managed to put himself within sight of capturing the win. As Daley revealed to BBC Sport, the reoccurrence of April’s injury came as a huge surprise:
I found out yesterday that I've torn my triceps again so today and yesterday I've been diving with a torn triceps not knowing whether it was going to make it worse.
I've also had a local anaesthetic in there today so I've been diving with a numb arm so it was a bit of a weird sensation but I really wanted to compete and would have even if my arm was falling off.
It's one of those really frustrating things knowing that it's only 517 points to get a silver so the scores are low, but if you have an injury you can only do your best and I'm a long way off that.
Daley and his followers can take heart from a gutsy performance. We know the British heartthrob possesses an optimistic outlook—his willingness to dive after the death of his father confirmed that—but his physical limits appear to meet no boundary.
Although Daley was third with two dives remaining, his final result is not the important aspect here. A disappointing final two dives saw him drop away from the medal places. This event may stick in his mind, but the starlet has plenty to be proud of in a display that many would have shied away from.
Qiu Bo’s second consecutive world title victory will focus Daley's attention on returning to full fitness.
The likes of Qiu and Boudia provide immensely difficult competition at the best of times and were always going to score higher than any injured opponent. Daley's progression in the Barcelona competition amounted to a consistent struggle that he was willing to wade through, as his chances were not on a level footing with the aforementioned divers.
Even so, he was just two dives away from securing an unlikely medal. Despite missing his signature three-and-a-half forward somersault with his last attempt, Daley had the guts to continue aiming for the top. With his injury confirmed, Daley knew all eyes were on his every move. In the face of extreme pressure, he gave himself the best possible chance of winning.
This mentality and physical determination holds Daley in good stead for the future. Although obviously disappointed at misfiring on the technical points of his last two dives, it was with typical good humour that the star jokingly tweeted his feelings:
Such an unbeatable attitude will see the London 2012 bronze medalist go a long way. The Englishman’s undeniable heart and willingness to compete at the top level certainly underlines a future that will be defined by greatness.
The 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona is beginning to heat up. Top of the bill is the men's 10m platform final, a competition that features the likes of Qiu Bo, David Boudia and Tom Daley.
As reported by the Washington Post, Olympic gold-medal winner Boudia holds a narrow lead after the semifinal stage. The American star opened proceedings at the Montjuic pool with a dive that received one perfect 10, and nothing lower than 9.0.
Although China's Qiu led through each of the preliminary rounds, the 20-year-old couldn't catch the older competitor heading into Sunday's much anticipated final. Boudia took the initiative through each of the semifinal's six rounds and ended the day with a score of 534.40.
Understandably, former Olympic gold medalist Laura Wilkinson was excited about her countryman's performance:
Qiu—who admitted struggling with expectation back in 2012—failed to keep his early momentum progressing through the day. He finished sixth in the semifinal on 457.55, losing out to the likes of Ivan Garcia, Sascha Klein, Victor Minibaev and German Sanchez.
The Chinese diver has a short history of making mistakes on the big stage. At the 2009 championships in Rome Qiu botched his final entry into the water, handing a 15-year-old Tom Daley his first major medal. Although the pair remain fierce competitors, they both have demons to slay heading into the Barcelona finale.
While Qiu's problems nestle within his mind, Daley has a more obvious reason for concern. As reported by BBC Sport, the British diver has struggled with injury and a lack of motivation since securing Olympic Bronze at his home Olympic Games last year.
BBC Sport also confirms his preparation for Barcelona was hampered with a glandular problem, but as the Englishman heads towards another final, he has a more serious setback to overcome.
The Daily Mail reports Daley suffered a tricep injuring during training on Thursday, adding to his long list of unfortunate complaints. He was rushed off for medical treatment between rounds at the World Championships and posted a noticeably poor performance. Even so, trainer Andy Banks believes he can battle through the pain barrier to success, as per The Daily Mail:
The medical team are now bust with him, hopefully they can do a job with that so he can come back in a better place physically, and mentally because of that.
He is very good at that, very professional.
It was off the diving board, on the physio bed and try and prepare him for the next dive and try and get him through the prelim. He's through, that's the first thing.
We are starting over at zero again. He still managed 13th with diving slightly sub-standard and there is a lot left in there.
Daley finished the semifinal in seventh place with an overall score of 452.70. He remains well behind Boudia and the frontrunners, suggesting a top three finish is unlikely on this occasion. His added fitness problems provide divers such as Qiu with a huge boost heading into the final, with one of their main challengers effectively restricted.
Boudia's near faultless performance outlines him as the firm favourite in Spain. He remains 11.80 points ahead of Garcia in second and has showed consistency throughout the semifinal stage. The American has finished no lower than second throughout his last six dives and remained in first place after the last five of his attempts.
Most importantly, the 24-year-old is an experienced winner on the big stage. His Olympic gold proves he is able to quash the expectation of others for his own gain. With Qiu and Daley struggling on various levels, Boudia's chances of securing gold have improved dramatically.
Regardless of what happens in the diving World Championships final in Barcelona, Tom Daley must use it is as a platform to reignite his career.
The 19-year-old has endured a difficult time since following up a bronze medal at London 2012 with two golds at the World Junior Championships, and is in danger of slipping further behind his rivals.
His preparation for Barcelona was wrecked when he tore a triceps muscle, per the BBC, whilst he’s also struggled with a glandular problem.
Daley was precariously placed with one round remaining in the World Championships semifinals, lying 11th and with only the top 12 allotted a place in the final.
But he showed true character to nail his final round dive—a reverse three-and-a-half somersault tuck—to receive a score of 94.05 points and sail into Sunday’s final.
It is his ability to produce big dives when it matters that makes him a world-class competitor and is why he still has an outside shot of a medal in Barcelona, despite a difficult 2013.
Daley has already enjoyed a remarkable career, having shot to worldwide stardom when he won the 2009 World Championships in Rome aged just 15.
But the continuing emergence of China as a diving force makes it increasingly difficult to triumph without producing six near-perfect dives.
Daley will face diving sensation Qui Bo in the final, but even if he succumbs as expected to the Chinese’s ability he should take encouragement from the fact Bo also scraped through qualifying.
It highlights that no matter how good you are, anyone can suffer a blip and one minor mistake is all it takes to ruin your entire competition.
Barcelona is the perfect catalyst for Daley to put this year behind him and focus on getting back amongst the diving elite.
If he fails to perform in the final he should bottle the feeling of disappoint and vow never to experience it again.
But if he manages to claim an unlikely medal, he knows the potential is there to build and once again become a force on the 10-metre platform.
