SOUTHAMPTON diver Pete Waterfield has told how nerves ruined his London Olympic dream last night.

But the 31-year-old insisted his diving career is not over despite his solo bid for glory ending in failure in the preliminary round in the Olympic Aquatics Centre.

Devastated Waterfield, who was competing at his fourth Games and won silver at Athens 2004, said he had been overcome by nerves when he stepped foot on the giant 10m platform.

Despite battling back from two poor opening dives with his next four efforts, his 23rd-placed finish meant he wasn’t one of the top 18 divers who went through to today’s semi-final.

Waterfield said: “I am very disappointed.

“The only way I can describe that is terrible. It was a terrible performance and I haven’t dived that bad for a long time.

“Of course there was pressure with it being a home crowd but normally that makes me dive better.

“I didn’t feel nervous until I literally stepped foot on the board, which is weird because I felt really good.

“But then as soon as I stood on the board these nerves came and you don’t get time to get use to it and it was a bad day.

“There was a long wait between dives and between my two events but it is the same for everyone and it is the same as other Olympics so that is not to blame.”

Despite being the second oldest competitor in the Olympic field, Waterfield, who narrowly missed out on a medal in the 10m synchro alongside Tom Daley, insisted he has no plans to quit the sport any time soon.

“We will have to see what happens but I will carry on diving. I might just stick to doing the synchro but we will have to wait and see, I have some decisions to make.

“I have had injuries this season and any injury is tough but none of them has stopped me training and I felt good coming into the competition and my preparation was very good, it just wasn’t my Olympics.”

Waterfield wasn’t the only one to struggle yesterday, with British diving’s golden boy Daley expected to fly into the semi-final, only to squeeze through in 15th.

But unlike Waterfield, Daley had a chance to bounce back with the slate wiped clean – which he took with a fourth-placed finish in the semi-final today.

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