LAST UPDATE | 9 Aug 2018
IRELAND’S OLIVER DINGLEY says he is ‘absolutely devastated’ after he was forced to withdraw from the 3m springboard event at the European Championships in Edinburgh due to stomach cramps.
Swim Ireland reported earlier today that Dingley had been feeling unwell over the last two days and has received medical advice not to compete in the preliminaries this morning.
Dingley has since revealed that he was suffering from stomach cramps but he says he was still intent on competing up until the final minutes before the event took place.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport he said:
“It’s a disappointing situation to be in but it’s what happens sometimes and I’ve just not been too well. I got a lot of stomach cramping on Tuesday the day I was competing on the 1m [springboard].
‘It’s a disappointing situation to be in’ - @OliverDingley explains the illness that forced him to withdraw from the 1m springboard event at the European Championships pic.twitter.com/F1dYuTPE5P
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 9, 2018
“I was thinking it was nerves but yesterday it got really bad and today I trained, I got through a training session and I saw the doctor. I was in the doctor’s room for a good half an hour [and] on their advice [they said] I shouldn’t really be competing.
We wanted to compete so we got back in the pool and two minutes before the event I had to run off to go get sick again and this is what happens in sport.
“I thought these European Championships were going to be my European Championships over 1m and 3m. I’ve had such a fantastic season with the World Championships and the World Cup but I’m just absolutely devastated.”
Dingley, who narrowly missed out on a medal in the 1M springboard final, went on to reiterate the determination he felt to compete today despite his poor condition.
“I still wanted to go all guns blazing,” he said, “and I came in with the intention to as well. I had a long time at the pool where I just really seized up and it just didn’t happen.
“I’ve seen it happen to teammates and people I’ve competed against before, it’s just a shame it happened at the European Championships.
“It was a chance to put on the Ireland tracksuit and represent Ireland on those diving boards. It happens but I’ll definitely be there next year.”
He concluded that he will be taking a break and will be sitting college exams, but he is eager to get back into training again soon.
I can’t wait to get back out there. I was sat in the medical room and had a few tears watching this [the preliminaries] on the TV. It was heartbreaking but I can’t wait to get back out there, the first competition will be in Japan next year in the world series.
“I’ll be on a circuit with the best divers in the world. We’ve got so much to look forward to and I’m more determined than ever.
Ireland have been disqualified from the Men's 4x100m Medley Relay after initially reaching the final.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 9, 2018
Meanwhile, Ireland’s 4x100m medley relay team of Conor Ferguson, Darragh Greene, Brendan Hyland and Shane Ryan failed to progress out of their heats in Glasgow after suffering an unfortunate disqualification.
Gutted for these lads.... Brilliant swim but DQ. They had high hopes to make the final tonight but vow to be back @RTEsport #teamireland 🏊♂️🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/cvkf4OQKUx
— Darren Frehill (@Darrenfrehill) August 9, 2018
They had initially booked their place in the final with a third-place finish, which gave them the eighth and final qualifying spot.
But following a delay in the confirmation of the times, the Irish team was disqualified for an illegal takeover after Darragh Greene was deemed to have left the board too early.
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