American diver David Boudia is looking forward to what will undoubtedly be an emotional return to the London Aquatics Centre, for the first time since he stood on top of the Olympic podium there.
After an incredible three days of high-level competition in Dubai, the world’s best divers will now shift their focus to the FINA/NVC Diving World Series’ next stop, which will be London from April 25-27, in the pool that hosted the Olympics diving competition in 2012.
The London Aquatics Centre reopened to the public for the first time since the Games earlier this month and Boudia can’t wait to take a plunge off the 10m platform that saw him become Olympic champion.
“I don’t know how to explain, there’s a lot of emotions that come, because you dream about winning an Olympic medal and it happened,” said Boudia, who picked up the bronze medal in Dubai in the 10m platform on Saturday. “So walking into the pool will bring back lots of memories and hopefully I can mimic a competition like London.”
The 24-year-old from Texas stunned Chinese favourite Qiu Bo to triumph in London and achieve his lifelong dream.
Boudia admits he struggled the following year trying to answer the question that faces numerous athletes: what do you do after you’ve become an Olympic champion?
“Seriously, what do you do when you reach your goals? The year after the Olympic Games was probably the hardest year of my entire life. Just trying to re-evaluate goals, trying to re-evaluate why I’m diving.
"At the end of the day it’s what I love to do and it also provides for my family. And the next four years that’s what I’ll strive to do for that focus,” said Boudia, who is expecting his first child with his wife Sonnie this September.
Boudia, however, kept his motivation going after London, claiming silver at the World Championships in Barcelona last summer.
Meanwhile, Tom Daley, a bronze medallist behind Boudia and Qiu Bo at the London Games of 2012, is hoping to benefit from home advantage as he looks to get back on the podium.
The 19-year-old Briton took bronze in the series opener in Beijing last week before finishing fourth and missing out on a medal in Dubai over the weekend.
Daley relocated from Plymouth to London last January and the London Aquatics Centre is now his regular training ground.
“It’s my home pool now. For lots of people it’ll bring back a lot of memories, so it’ll be interesting to see how people rise to the occasion,” said Daley.
The six-stop Diving World Series will head to Russia, Canada and finally Mexico after London.
