The same dive that earned Michael Hixon a medal at the Rio Olympics denied him one Tuesday at the men’s 3-meter springboard finals.
The 22-year-old had two dives remaining in the competition when he attempted the 109C — the high-risk, high-reward dive that Hixon and his partner Sam Dorman pulled off almost flawlessly the week before.
This time, his entry into the water was off, warranting a measly 62.70 points from the judges, making it his second lowest score of the night.
“I feel like I underperformed pretty seriously,” Hixon said. “I missed probably three out of six dives, so there’s a lot more to be done.”
Hixon placed 10th out of 12 divers with a final score of 431.65.
He didn’t get a strong start in the competition, finishing in 11th place ahead of just one other diver in the first round. Great Britain and China’s divers quickly established themselves as the ones to beat, consistently earning scores in the high 80s and 90s throughout the rest of the competition.
In the preliminaries, Hixon faltered on his fourth dive but was able to earn high enough marks on his first three dives to propel him to first. But with the medals at stake, every athlete had upped their performance. The final score that placed him just a point away from third place would’ve landed him in seventh in the finals.
Briefly, Hixon tried to make a comeback, earning his highest scores on his second and third dives.
“I’m never out of the fight,” Hixon said. “That’s the way I always compete, every single dive. I felt like I was in the fight during that round and the one after that, too.”
He surged forward to sixth place but quickly lost his momentum. With only three dives left, Hixon scored 60s and 70s on dives that earned him 80s during the semifinal round.
“Consistency is the name of the game,” Hixon said. “At this level, everybody can do big dives. … It’s all about what’s going on up here in your brain.”
After each dive, Hixon stayed in the pool to monitor his progress. By his last dive, he was resigned, staying in the pool for only a moment before his score of 64.60 flashed on the screen. He knew he was out of the running for a medal.
Following the race, Hixon took the loss in stride, acknowledging mistakes made.
“Obviously there are things I could’ve done better,” Hixon said. “But it was a great experience. … I took a lot away from it.”
Hixon and teammate Kristian Ipsen, who finished fifth, were the only divers in the final from the same country. Former synchronized diving partners, the duo reflected afterward on what it meant for the U.S. to have a strong presence.
“I just hope that we inspire kids who want to dive,” Hixon said. “That’s basically what it’s all about, just inspiring younger generations.”
When he returns to the Indiana University in the fall, Hixon said he’ll have his sights on a second medal in Tokyo in 2020.
“I have two more years of eligibility left at IU and competing in Tokyo will be the goal.”