Jack David Laugher MBE (/lɔː/ LOR; born 30 January 1995) is a British diver competing for Great Britain and England. A specialist on springboard, he competes in individual springboard events, and in synchronised events with Chris Mears, Daniel Goodfellow and Anthony Harding.[3] Laugher and Mears became Britain's first diving Olympic champions by winning a gold medal in the men's synchronised 3m springboard event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, an achievement many had expected double world 10m champion Tom Daley would achieve first.[4] A week later, Laugher won a silver in the men's individual 3m springboard at the same Games, becoming the first British diver to win multiple Olympic diving medals at the same Games.[5]
Laugher was a double Commonwealth Games champion for England at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, a double champion again at the 2022 Games in Birmingham (in 1m springboard and 3m synchro on both occasions), and a triple champion (1 metre springboard, 3 metre springboard and 3 metre synchro) in the 2018 Games at the Gold Coast. He was the first British diver to win two medals at the same World Championships, the 2015 World Championships.[6] In 2015, Laugher won the overall title in the FINA Diving World Series for 3-metre springboard.[7]
Laugher was born on 30 January 1995 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire to David and Jackie Laugher.[1][8] He was educated at Ripon Grammar School, a co-educational state grammar school in Ripon, North Yorkshire.[9]
Laugher became interested in diving when he was seven during a family visit to Harrogate Hydro Swimming Pool and a lifeguard told him to go for diving lessons.[10] He began to learn diving at the Harrogate and District Diving Club at the Hydro.[11] He broke his upper arm when he was 14 during a trampolining competition, and had a metal plate inserted to hold his humerus bone together.[8]
Laugher has stated that his surname is pronounced 'Law'.[12]
Laugher won the one-metre and three-metre springboard titles at the 2010 European Junior Championships and the 2010 World Junior Championships.[13]
In September 2010, he competed at the World Junior Championships in Tucson, Arizona and won gold at both the 1m and 3m springboard events.[14] In October that year, he represented England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he was partnered with Oliver Dingley in the synchro.[15][16]
Greg Louganis was reported as being impressed with Laugher's diving.[17]
In 2012 Laugher was selected for the Great Britain 2012 London Olympics team. On 6 August 2012, he competed in the Men's 3-metre springboard,[13] but he failed to make it to the semi-final stage. In October 2012, Laugher became the Junior World champion again, winning the 3m springboard in Adelaide, Australia.[18] He won the 3m Synchro competition with Tom Daley.[19]
Laugher first teamed up with Chris Mears in the 3-metre Springboard in 2013.[20] In October 2013 he took on the role of Ambassador for the sport of VX.[21]
In July 2014, he won bronze in the 3m springboard at the World Cup held in Shanghai.[22] Soon afterwards at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won the gold medal in the 1m springboard, then a second gold in the 3m synchro with Chris Mears.[23]
At the 2015 World Championship in Kazan, Russia, Laugher and Mears won bronze in the 3m springboard synchro, thus qualifying for the Rio Olympics.[24] Laugher then won a second bronze in the individual 3m springboard, making him the first Briton to win two medals in a World Championships.[25]
In January 2016, Laugher suffered a foot injury while training.[26] In May 2016, he won the 3m synchronised springboard at the European Championships in London with Mears, and a silver in the individual 3m springboard.[27]
At the 2016 Olympics, Laugher and Mears became the first ever diving gold medal winners for Great Britain in the men's synchronised 3-metre springboard. They scored 454.32, beating the American Sam Dorman and Michael Hixon (450.21) in silver medal position and the Chinese pair Qin Kai and Cao Yuan in bronze (443.70).[4] Laugher also won silver medal in the individual 3-metre springboard.[5]
Laugher and Mears won three silvers in the 3m Synchro in four events of the Fina/NVC Diving World Series, two in China[28] and one in Russia.[29] However they finished out of the medal position in fourth at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.[30]
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, Australia, Laugher successfully defended his title on the 1m springboard.[31] The next day, he added another gold after winning the 3m springboard event,[32] then followed it up with a third gold of the Games after winning the men's 3-metre synchronised springboard with Chris Mears.[33] Earlier in the year, Mears and Laugher also won a silver in 3-metre synchro springboard at the 2018 FINA Diving World Cup held in Wuhan.[34] He also won a bronze in individual 3m springboard at the same event.[35]
At the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow/Edinburgh, Laugher won gold in the men's 1 metre springboard.[36] He won a second gold in the men's 3-metre springboard,[37] and added a silver to this tally in the championships with a second place in the 3-metre synchro springboard with Chris Mears.[38] He won a total of 5 international titles in 2018, for which he was honoured with European male diver of the year a second time by Ligue Europeenne de Natation (LEN).[39]
Jack Laugher partnered with Dan Goodfellow in men's synchronised 3m springboard since his regular partner Chris Mears had decided to take a break from competition and then retired.[40][41] At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea, he won silver with Goodfellow in the 3m synchronised.[42] In his individual 3m springboard, after leading for much of the competition, he finished in the bronze position after an error in the final dive.[43]
At the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup held in Japan as an official test event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Laugher and Goodfellow won gold in synchronised 3m springboard.[44] Laugher also won silver 11 days later in men's 1m springboard at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships.[45]
At the Tokyo Olympics, Laugher and Dan Goodfellow came 7th in the men's synchronised 3m springboard.[46] He won the bronze medal in the individual 3m springboard.[47]
At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships held in Budapest, Laugher partnered with Anthony Harding for the first time in an international competition, and won silver in the synchro 3m springboard event.[48] Laugher also won an individual silver in the men's 1 m springboard,[49] and a bronze in the 3m springboard event.[50]
Laugher started dating Lois Toulson in early 2017.[51][52] Laugher is supportive of the LGBT community and said: "I have quite a few gay friends, just from school and people I've met through diving and my journey. Everyone should feel comfortable to be gay and be who they are."[53][54]
In 2017 Laugher won Diver of the Year at the British Swimming Awards.[55] At the 2018 British Swimming Awards, he won both the Diving Athlete of the Year and the Overall Athlete of the Year.[56] He was named European male diver of the year for 2016 by Ligue Europeenne de Natation (LEN), and again in 2018.[39]
Laugher, along with Mears, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to diving.[57]
Competition | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olympics, 3m springboard synchronised | 1st | 7th | ||||||||||||||
Olympics, 3m springboard | 27th | 2nd | 3rd | |||||||||||||
World Championships, 1m springboard | 33rd | 19th | ||||||||||||||
World Championships, 3m springboard | 7th | 16th | 3rd | 5th | ||||||||||||
World Championships, 3m synchro | 3rd | 4th | ||||||||||||||
European Championships, 1m springboard | 1st | |||||||||||||||
European Championships, 3m springboard | 6th | 2nd | 1st | |||||||||||||
European Championships, 3m synchro | 1st | 2nd | ||||||||||||||
Commonwealth Games, 1m springboard | 1st | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||
Commonwealth Games, 3m springboard | 11th | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | ||||||||||||
Commonwealth Games, 3m synchro | 7th | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||||
FINA World Cup, 3m springboard | 31st | 8th | 3rd | 3rd | ||||||||||||
FINA World Cup, 3m synchro | 5th | 4th | 2nd | |||||||||||||
World Junior Championships, 1m springboard | 1st | |||||||||||||||
World Junior Championships, 3m springboard | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||||||
World Junior Championships, 3m synchro | 10th | 1st | ||||||||||||||
European Junior Championships, 1m springboard | 1st | |||||||||||||||
European Junior Championships, 3m springboard | 1st | |||||||||||||||
European Junior Championships, 3m synchro | 4th | |||||||||||||||
European Junior Championships, 10m platform | 6th | |||||||||||||||
British Championships, 3m springboard | 14th | 6th | 8th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||
British Championships, 3m synchro | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||||||||
British Championships, 1m springboard | 3rd | |||||||||||||||
British Championships, 10m platform | 8th | 2nd | ||||||||||||||
British Gas National Cup, 1m springboard | 11th | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||
British Gas National Cup, 3m springboard | 4th | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||
British Gas National Cup, 3m synchro | 3rd |