Spendolini-Sirieix: Pressure is the destroyer of competitions

Queen's rock classic 'Under Pressure' has never been less relatable to British diving sensation Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.

The 18-year-old has risen through the international ranks like a bullet the last two years and will look to carry that form into the women's 10m platform at the World Championships in Japan this summer.

But the diver has decided to put her competitive aims on the back foot in Fukuoka, focusing instead on the objective of enjoyment after struggling under a mountain of pressure at last year's event in Budapest.

And with the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympics ticking away, Spendolini-Sirieix, whose father, TV personality Fred Sirieix is French, is just excited to see what she can do in the run-up.

"We've done a good chunk of training, we have a strategy plan and everything's in place so I’m looking forward to getting back on 10 metres," she said.

"I know what I need to do and what the goal is.

"I want to beat myself. If I get a medal, that’s incredible, but I want to go there and beat my personal best.

"But I also just want to enjoy the progress, I’m not going to stress or put pressure on myself.

"Pressure is the destroyer of competitions.

"Sometimes internal pressure is worst than external pressure because your mind goes crazy.

"I’ve learnt from last year going to Worlds, do not put pressure on yourself as it does bad things to you.

"I know I work best when I’m enjoying myself and when I’m giving my all.

"After Japan, it’s the Olympic spot qualifiers and when the next season starts, the Paris cycle will kick in a bit more.

"It’s going to be such a beautiful Games with the people that can watch, my family are excited and it’s in France which is close to my heart."

Spendolini-Sirieix had a topsy-turvy return to competition after the Tokyo Olympics, to the point she considered giving up the sport as she began her battle with A-Levels.

But the past 12 months have changed everything for the diver, with double Commonwealth Games gold, an onslaught of medals at the European Championships and a close family network reigniting her passion.

"Last year was really lovely," she said.

"It was so nice to find that confidence again especially after feeling knocked down.

"I’m using what I learnt and applying that into this year, and I think the most important thing is enjoying what I do every time.

"Realising that sometimes it’s not always going to be okay and that’s completely fine.

"Having that communication with your coach, some days you’ll have bad days and others will be really good.

"And it's about relying on your community, family, friends and coaches and not closing in.

"I used to want to do everything by myself and didn’t want to put my burdens on other people, but they are there for a reason and they can’t help you unless you go to them.

"Now I've been training again after exams, it's become more evident that I missed diving a lot, so it’s nice to come back and realise that I really I love what I do.

"It's felt so good to be focused on one thing and not 50 different things at once."

With school now out of the way, Spendolini-Sirieix is excited to put all her eggs in one basket during her Olympic gap year ahead of Paris 2024.

But the diver is already looking ahead to the future, with plans to return to education following Paris and pursue a career in sports journalism.

"I do want to go back into education because I think it’s very valuable and I don’t want to just do diving," she said.

"As much as it’s nice for one year, it’s not something I see myself doing so, I want to go to Uni and get back into the groove of learning and gaining more knowledge before transitioning into the work environment.

"I want to study sports journalism. It’s a part of me so I want to nurture that and learn more about it.

"Understanding myself as an athlete and wanting to understand others is quite nice. You get to meet athletes and learn about their stories and them as human beings.

"I want to try and humanise athletes as I think we’re seen as superhuman but really we struggle with the same things as people who aren’t athletes."

Sportsbeat 2023