Laugher does Games’ dive double as Wu bags gold

Englishman wins 3m springboard for second gold of Games

English diver Jack Laugher boasted that he had been “on fire” yesterday after winning the three-metre springboard for his second gold medal of the Commonwealth Games.

The Olympic silver medallist racked up a total of 519.40 points from his six dives to secure a whopping 66.7-point victory over Canada’s Philippe Gagne with Australian James Connor taking bronze.

In the night’s other final, Australia’s Melissa Wu stunned defending champion Meaghan Benfeito of Canada with her final dive to win her first major individual title in the women’s 10m platform in dramatic fashion.

Laugher is now chasing a Gold Coast hat-trick after winning the one-metre title earlier in the week.

“I was on fire from the start and because I wanted that title so much it meant that I really tried quite hard,” said the 23-year-old.

“I’m really proud of my score, first time finally competing outdoors and almost what I got in Rio.”

Laugher’s score was just four points off his silver medal performance behind China’s Cao Yuan at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Laugher pulled away from the field with a smooth reverse 2-1/2 somersault on his second dive, earning him 94.5 points, and a further 95.00 points on his fifth forward 4-1/2 somersaults dive.

“I’m on track,” said Laugher, who finished runner-up to Malaysia’s Ooi Tze Liang in Glasgow four years ago.