For someone who's athletic hopes are based on processing and performing complex manoeuvres in mere seconds, it's taking a while for Kiwi diver Anton Down-Jenkins to accept a relatively simple idea.
Down-Jenkin’s Olympic dream is coming true.
“I very much thought, ‘Nah, nah, you're lying to me, that’s not true, I don't believe that,'” Down-Jenkins said.
“I didn’t really believe it. I still don’t really believe it.”
In his lifetime, it is unprecedented; New Zealand last had a male diver at the Olympics nearly 40 years ago — 15 years before Down-Jenkins was born.
But now that it’s his time, the 21-year-old — a proud member of the LGBTQ Community — is determined to use his place in history to send a broader message.
“Growing up for me, there wasn’t too much LGBT representation in the media, especially surrounding sports,” he said.
“If I can add to that representation to help break down that idea of sexual identity being a barrier which is unfortunately very much a reality for a lot of athletes - not just athletes but people in general – I’m going to do it.”
He's also preparing to do Tokyo solo after fellow diver and friend Elizabeth Cui announced her pregnancy, pulling out of this year's games.
Diving's a sport full of twists and, it turns and for Down-Jenkins, a chance to make a splash far beyond the pool.
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