Stephan Feck and the most embarrassing dive of the London Games
LONDON — Stephan Feck finished dead last (No. 29 overall) in the preliminary round of men's 3m springboard diving at the London Olympics and was eliminated from the competition on Monday.
But he did earn a consolation prize: Internet infamy.
Feck's second attempt at the Aquatics Centre saw the German land flat on his back in the water, after losing his grip on his left leg during his rotation. It was, shall we say, not a textbook dive.
[Watch the video of this epic fail here. Viewers outside the U.S. can try this video link.]
The clip has gone viral as one of the Olympics' biggest bloopers (even as the IOC cracks down on its uploading, hence why we can't embed video). But what did the judges think?
From Robert Dillon of The Sydney Morning Herald:
Instead of completing the maneuver and disappearing into the water with barely a ripple, he landed flat on the middle of his back. The resounding splat prompted a loud groan from the crowd, while each judge scored him zero.
The 22-year-old from Leipzig emerged from the pool in obvious distress. He completed another dive but then withdrew, in too much pain to continue.
We thought this unorthodox attempt was a charming way to break the monotony of seeing every dive performed to perfection. Alas, this whimsy was lost on the judges, apparently:
D'oh.
Perhaps the worst part of this for Stephan Feck is ... that his name is "Stephan Feck."
Naturally, the reactions to this diving blooper have ranged from "Oh, for Feck's sake" to "Oh, Feck." But hey, in the end, the dude still made the Olympics. He probably doesn't give a Feck ...
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