OLYMPICS LONDON 2012: No final for Gallantree and Starling

By Andrew Greaves, Sportsbeat, London 2012

DIVER Hannah Starling admitted prior to the London Games she had never even expected to make the semi-finals of the women’s 3m springboard but after a brave showing in qualifying, she very nearly achieved the unexpected.

JUST OUT: Hannah Starling and Rebecca Gallantree could not squeeze into the Olympics final

The 17-year-old, who took bronze at the British Championships earlier this year, was just 0.75 points away from a 12th place finish and a surprise place in the Olympics final.

But Starling said she was happy with her performance and her London 2012 Olympics experience.

"I'm really happy - 13th at the Olympics, I didn't even think I'd make the semi-final – I was just 0.75 away from the final, but it's my first Olympics," she said.

"I'm really happy with my performance, I got over 300 and I really wanted to get over 300. I just aimed to have a good time and enjoy it, and that's what I did, I'm really happy.

"It's five points away from what I scored in the dive-off at the world cup (2012). If I got those five points I'd have made the final, but it was the best day of my life, so I can't really have asked for any more."

Great Britain teammate Rebecca Gallantree also missed out on a place in the final, finishing in 18th.

The 27-year-old was below her best with a couple of miss-timed dives but says she enjoyed the experience of competing in from of a partisan crowd at the Olympics Aquatics Centre.

"Sport can be tough sometimes. It didn't go my way today. I gave it everything I had and, unfortunately, it just didn't go my way,” she said.

“I'm a little disappointed, but I just really enjoyed the experience and competing in front of a home crowd is just incredible."

© Sportsbeat 2012