Diver Slips and Falls Off Board in Front of French President at Paris Olympics Pool Opening

Mar. 15, 2025

Alexis Jandard falls onto the board during a demonstration at the the Olympic Aquatics Centre.Photo:NBC

NBC

The preparations for the 2024Summer Olympicsin Paris are underway — but things haven’t gone off without a hitch.

During the opening of the Paris Aquatics Centre on April 4 ahead of the Olympics this year, three of France’s competing divers marked the occasion with an inaugural dive, according toNBC News.

Unfortunately,diver Alexis Jandardslipped during the big moment, falling off the diving board onto his back and into the water, as seen in an Instagram video he posted.

Jandard walked away mostly unharmed with just some scratch marks on his body — though he did admit he was embarrassed, especially because French PresidentEmmanuel Macronwas in attendance.

“I fell in front of the president. I fell in front of the whole of France,” the French diver said in an Instagram Stories video, per NBC, giving his side of the story after the inauguration. “I’ve broken boards before, but the board had never broken me before. Now it has. I would have preferred this ceremony to have gone well from start to finish. There was that little hitch. If it made people smile a little, so much the better.”

Jandard, who also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said that there was “a little blood, but it’s not serious, it won’t stop me from going to train this afternoon.”

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Inanother Instagram post, the 26-year-old diver admitted: “J’ai glissé chef” (“I slipped, boss”), alongside a video showing “Instagram vs. Reality.”

In one clip, he perfectly completes a high dive, and in another, he shares the clip of him falling off the diving board during his inaugural dive — set to a azoo rendition of theHome Alonetheme song. The athlete also showed off a few of his cuts and scrapes down his back and leg.

“I’ve been having fun for a few days thanks to you,” he added in the caption, translated from French.“I would like to remind you that everything is fine, I am not really injured and I have returned to training. I’m continuing my Olympic preparation so on the way to @paris2024.”

“Thank you again for your messages,” he finished in French, alongside a heart emoji.

source: people.com