Peter Waterfield Interview
How did you get into diving?
I was 9 years old and I was into lots of different sports like football, karate, judo and swimming. I was training in the pool and I used to watch the divers and think it seemed like fun so I had a go. I like being scared so diving suited me. I used to swim at Waltham Forest and they had diving boards up to 5m there so it was a good place to start.
And why did you choose the scary 10m platform as your event?
I like being scared! When I started to go off the higher boards I realised I was better at them. I do enjoy diving off all the different boards but the 10m board is the most exciting.
Can you remember the first time you dived of the 10m board, were you scared?
I was about 11 or 12 and I was pretty scared! I let a few people go off before me. It was at Crystal Palace.
What’s your favourite dive?
My favourite is the reverse three and half somersault with tuck off the 10m board but Leon and I invented a dive that is the hardest dive in the world. It’s called the back two and a half somersault with two and a half twists picked. Sounds confusing hey!
Describe your normal training routine.
In the morning we do cardio vascular training such as running on the treadmill. Then we stretch and do all sorts of warming up exercises. We do about an hour and a half of training before we hit the pool for another hour and a half of diving. In the evening we do more body conditioning and things like dry land somersaults, using the trampoline, and of course more stretching! We then do another hour and a half of diving. We also do weights and strength work twice a week.
What do you think are the main differences between swimmers and divers?
We’re madder I think! We don’t do much swimming apart from to the surface after a dive. But all swimmers and divers are competitive and love competing so we’re not that different really.
How good is your swimming?
I’m a bit short to be really fast, but I’m a pretty strong swimmer. I don’t really race now though.
What’s the next events for you and what’s the next big event?
We have the British Championships in December. These are really important, as they are the trails for the World Championships next year. The World champs are in March and these are the qualifiers for the next Olympics.
Has life been different for you since winning Olympic silver?
It’s been great actually. All sorts of different opportunities have opened up for me, such as doing motivational speeches. I go to lots of schools and talk to kids about the Olympics and I’ve been on lots of TV shows. People recognise me in the street, it’s quite strange really!
What’s your top tip for people trying to achieve Olympic success?
Work hard in what you do and have fun.
Do you think your son will be a diver?
My son, Lewis, is 5. He doesn’t really like swimming at the moment but he will jump off the diving boards if I catch him. It’s really important to be a strong swimmer before you start diving. He loves football at the moment so perhaps he’ll play for Southampton!
