LAUGHER SHRUGS OFF BLUE MOOD BY DIVING FOR GOLD

JACK LAUGHER got going yesterday morning with a gripe about the amount of blue in his sightline and wrapped up his evening with an eyeful of gold. It amounted to a perfect start to a busy week for the Rio 2016 diving champion, who today will look to follow this win in the 1 metre springboard with another in the 3m individual. If that goes well, he will then have a shot at a hat-trick in the 3m synchro tomorrow alongside Chris Mears, in the event in which they won Olympic gold. His performance was impressive against a backdrop of injuries — he only managed a fortnight of training in preparation — and his grumbles about the colour scheme of the diving venue. ‘It’s hard outside when all you can see is blue,’ he said. ‘Sky and sea, everything’s blue.’ But he led after the first dive and cruised through without a rival in sight. Laugher is favourite for today’s 3m final (10am) after taking silver in 2016. He said: ‘The 3m is my main board but it will be my first in international competition this year. I’m a bit nervous but I have high hopes.’ Laugher’s gold followed a silver for Alicia Blagg and Katherine Torrance in the women’s 3m synchronised after only a fortnight of training together. England’s Dina AsherSmith is in the 200m final today (12.30pm) after qualifying in 22.44sec and Zharnel Hughes will be in the men’s final (12.50pm). TV: BBC 2 from 6am9.15am, then BBC 1 to 1pm.