Lengthy earlier than he took the world by storm in hardman performances in Hollywood, Jason Michael Statham was extra generally seen above a swimming pool close to a diving board, dreaming of an entry into the sporting world.
Early Sporting Profession
As a younger teenager, Statham was an all spherical athlete focused on trampolining, excessive soar, gymnastics, soccer, tennis and squash. Boxing and martial arts have been his fundamental pursuits earlier than he modified his thoughts across the age of 13. He recounts being impressed by “a man who was doing a excessive dive” whereas he was away on a vacation and located his calling within the sport.
The place most different divers often begin coaching on the age of 4 or 5, Statham solely started to dive from fifteen. He would handle his college timings and would spend the remainder of the day in Crystal Palace Nationwide Sports activities Centre in Shirebrook, the place Kim White would coach him. White later grew to become the British Diving Programme Supervisor, and impressed with Statham, inducted him within the British Nationwide Diving College.
Worldwide Occasions
Jason was included within the British Diving College in 1985 and was praised for his fearless precision and calm nature as he shortly rose as one of many best divers within the nation. He competed on the Commonwealth Video games in Auckland in 1990 the place the then 23-year-old can barely be recognised at this time as a consequence of his head of hair.

The Hollywood action hero didn’t win a medal on the Video games and landed with a splash ending eighth on the 1 metre springboard occasion with a paltry rating of 487.26 factors and eleventh in each the three metre and 10 metre excessive Diving competitions. Nevertheless officers on the Edinburgh Diving Membership reported that regardless of his poor efficiency, Statham was “England’s main gentle on the Video games. His management and accuracy made him a formidable opponent.”
Statham did his popularity no hurt as he completed third in Olympic trials on three totally different events and competed within the 1988 Video games in Seoul, the Barcelona Olympiad in 1992 and the Olympics in Atlanta 4 years later. He additionally completed twelfth within the World Championships held in Barcelona in 1992.
The diver goes on display screen

Round 1996, the Crystal Palace Sports activities Centre shut down and relocated to Sheffield. A modelling provide from Greece meant monetary safety and there was no trying again for the heart-throb as he quickly went on to star in cult classics like Lock, Inventory and Two Smoking Barrels and the Transporter collection.
Statham recounts his taking part in days with nostalgia and remembers how a “foolish passion” modified his life. He singles out the 1990 CWG in New Zealand as being “an amazing expertise”.

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