TOKYO, Japan — Jamaican two-time Olympic diver Yona Knight-Wisdom is pleased with his effort in Tokyo, despite a semi-final exit in the men’s three-metre springboard competition.

Knight-Wisdom tallied 411.65 points at the completion of the first round to finish in 13th position, enough to advance to the semi-final. However, he ended in 15th position with 362.95 points after his six dives.

In both the preliminary round and the semi-final he had difficulty with his second dive, an inward 3½ somersault in the tuck position.

In the first round he collected a measly 40.80 points to rank 25th in that round and 25th overall, while in the semi-final, he improved slightly with 45.90 points to rank 17th in that round and 17th overall.

Twenty-nine divers entered the competition at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

“I’m super proud of my performance, especially with the mistake I made in the second round fighting back… the energy that I put into that,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“I think I might have just used up too much mental energy to make that fightback, make that comeback from that mistake in round two and just couldn’t quite get in the rhythm this morning for the semi-finals, which is frustrating. But it’s the way it goes in sports sometimes. But nevertheless I’m just happy to have competed at these Games, my second Games, because of what it means for myself and for Jamaica; it’s a huge success, and sometimes it has to go wrong before it goes right. And I’ll take everything that I learnt from these last two Olympics and every single performance within and be the better for it,” he added.

The 26-year-old said he was “absolutely happy” with his efforts in the preliminary round, but was disappointed with how the semis panned out as he knows he’s capable of much better — even on an off day.

“I made a few mistakes that I wouldn’t normally make, but that’s the challenge of the Olympic Games. There is pressure, it’s a tough environment, and everyone steps their game up and you can’t afford to make these mistakes. And I’ve got to find a way to reduce those mistakes. I’m already excited to get back into training to try and iron those mistakes out and just improve, because there is plenty to look forward to now and work on for the next events,” he reasoned.

In his first-round dive, a forward 3½ somersault in the pike position, Knight-Wisdom earned 75.95 points to rank sixth overall. His second, an inward 3½ somersaults in the tuck position, he collected a measly 40.80 points to rank 25th in that round and 25th overall.

Round three, a forward 2½ somersaults one twist in the pike position got him 72 points, for ninth in that round and in 18th place overall.

Round four was a back 2½ somersaults in the pike position which earned him from the seven judges 67.50 points for 13th ranking in that round and 18th place overall.

His fifth round, a reverse 3½ somersaults in the tuck position earned him his highest mark of 84.00, for sixth ranked in the round and 13th place overall, while his sixth and final, a forward 2½ somersaults two twists in the pike position received 71.40 points from the judges for joint 15th ranked in the round and 13th place overall.

His semi-final scores in an identical routine saw him collect 69.75 points for 10th rank in the dive and 10th overall, down from the 75.95 points he earned in the prelims; 45.90 points for his second dive for 17th rank in the round and 17th overall, up from the 40.80 points in the prelims. The third dive earned him 72.00 points for joint sixth best in the round and 15th overall, the same at the previous round.

For his fourth dive he picked up 61.50 points for 13th rank in the round and 14th overall, down from the 67.50 points in the previous round, while in the fifth dive he received 56.00 points for 16th rank in the round and 15th overall, well off the 84 points he secured in the preliminary round, and for his sixth and final dive he was awarded 57.80 points for 16th in the round and 15th overall, down from the 71.40 points he received the previous day.

Still, Knight-Wisdom says he would not change anything.

“There is nothing that I would have changed about anything over the last two years. I’ve always tried to make sure that every decision I make is something that I am comfortable with and I can look back on and not regret, and I can honestly say that I look back and I don’t regret any of the decisions that I made in training, in my lifestyle, in my choice of dives, in my effort and energy in training every single day, in my professionalism, in my attitude, I wouldn’t change anything, and sometimes it just doesn’t go your way due to circumstance, and I think that’s what happened today.

“I prepared as I normally would. I’ve prepared in the best way that I felt I needed to, and it just didn’t happen. So there will come a time I can look back and adjust and change different things, but there will come a time when it does get in my way. It’s happened before and it can happen again, and maybe this year wasn’t supposed to be my peak, maybe next year or the year after will be my peak, I don’t know, but I have so much more to give.”

The British native says his main takeaway from the Tokyo Games is to make sure he continues enjoying every single day of training and enjoys what he does, because that’s where the real value is, and that’s where the memories are made, and that’s how he actually get to these events.

“I can’t be focusing on these events too much. Obviously there are the targets, there are the aims, but it’s more important to enjoy every single day, because with happiness comes success and success is not always in medals. Success is satisfaction and achieving your best personally, and I just need to remember to continue doing that and the effort I put in will breed more success in the future,” he argues.

At present his target is the Commonwealth Games. “I continue to dream big, and not achieving my target for these Games isn’t going to deter me from dreaming big and being ambitious, so I’d love to go to the Commonwealth Games and come away with two medals in the one-metre and three-metre, so that’s my target.

“Got to put a lot of work in to be able to deal with that, because there are going to be some great divers there, that’s for sure, but I’m confident that I can do that if I perform well. So, that’s what I working towards, and after that it’s eyes on Paris 2024,” ended Knight-Wisdom.