Content note: this article contains references to mental health struggles and suicidal ideation.

It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of the Olympics – to be disappointed when someone you’re cheering for comes in fourth or slips from gold to silver with one lap to go. But in many ways, simply getting to the Olympics and even taking part in sport is a victory in itself.

Yesterday, Team GB’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix reminded us all of that fact. Going into the Olympics, there were hopes that she’d bring home an individual 10m diving medal after she made it onto the podium at the super final of the World Aquatics Diving World Cup. As the daughter of TV host Fred Sirieix, there was an extra bit of pressure on her shoulders, which she responded to well by winning Olympic bronze with synchro partner Lois Toulson earlier this week. And yesterday (7 August), she performed a series of brilliant dives, earning a respectable sixth-place finish in the process.

While sixth place might not be the podium finish she was hoping for, Spendolini-Sirieix was quick to explain that her post-dive tears were not tears of sadness – they were tears of gratitude.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix’s tearful post-dive interview is a reminder that victory doesn’t always mean medals