Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix is no ordinary 19-year-old girl.
The Team GB diver is entering her second Olympic Games having worked tirelessly to become one of the country’s most promising athletes.
But she’s had to overcome unique challenges to get there – from making a name for herself beyond being the daughter of First Dates star Fred Sirieix, to overcoming her fear of diving and becoming one of her country’s brightest talents.
Here’s what you need to know about Spendolini-Sirieix ahead of her appearance in the 10m synchronized platform dive this morning.
Family life and early career
The London diving sensation is the daughter of famous French foodie Sirieix and Italian mother Alex Spendolini, and grew up alongside her younger brother Matteo.
She says it was her mother who encouraged her to dive from a young age.
“I didn’t want to start diving… my mum forced me to start diving,” she said laughing in a video on the Team GB YouTube channel.
“My family means a lot to me because they really dropped everything for my sport,” she added.
It was clear from the start that she had a talent for diving – so much so that she was scouted for talent at just eight years old.
She burst onto the international scene at age 13 when she started on the senior diving circuit, and just two years later won her first solo gold at the 2020 FINA Diving Grand Prix.
“I was a skinny kid with no meat and I was throwing myself 10 meters like the adults,” she told Team GB.
“Nothing is expected of you when you are the underdog, it was like a superpower.”
A challenging Olympic debut – and overcoming the fear of diving
By the time she made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, things had changed a bit for the then 16-year-old Spendolini-Sirieix.
She was bigger and stronger, but suffered from what she later identified as “twisties” – a mental block that leaves athletes disoriented in the air.
Gymnast Simone Biles recently raised awareness about the psychological phenomenon that kept her out of much of the last Toyko Olympics.
Spendolini-Sirieix dives during Olympic debut in Tokyo. Photo: AP
It’s associated with stress – something Spendolini-Sirieix was experiencing a lot at the time.
“I was struggling so much in all areas of life: in school and training, to find contentment in everything I did,” she told Olympics.com in November 2022.
“And I just couldn’t dive. I couldn’t dive. I couldn’t do anything simple, anything difficult.”
She subsequently entered her first Olympics feeling the pressure of “disappointing everyone” and knowing she was not at her best.
Remarkably, she still managed to get through the rounds and reached the final in the women’s 10m platform, finishing seventh – Britain’s best individual result by a diver in Tokyo.
But her mental health problems persisted – so much so that she almost gave up diving altogether a few months later.
“When you get overwhelmed by things you can’t control, it affects your dive. If you’re not mentally ‘switched on’ in those 10m [platform]the risks are quite serious,” she told World Aquatics.
She developed a “mental block” when it came to diving and said it became a fear.
“I was going to give up, so I had to tell someone I wasn’t okay,” she added.
The 2024 Olympics are starting
Reaching new heights in health and career
After a challenging first half of 2022, Spendolini-Sirieix began to trust his family, friends and coach.
“I used to want to do everything myself and didn’t want to put my burdens on other people,” the diver told Olympics.com. “But they’re there for a reason and they can’t help you unless you go to them.”
She says it was this communication that allowed her to recover both mentally and physically.
The year turned out to be a landmark year for her, seeing her win double European gold, two Commonwealth titles and a bronze medal at the World Championships.
A year later, she surpassed this by winning silver at the 2023 World Championships.
She now has 24 national and international medals in total and looks confident in Paris.
Spendolini-Sirieix winning gold at the 2024 Aquatic Diving Championship. Photo: PA/Martin Rickett
“My overall goal is to get a medal at the Olympic Games and Paris is very close to my heart because it is in France,” she told Olympics.com.
“I have a family, I’m half French and I think it will be as close to a home game as possible. But from now on I’m taking the process one day at a time.”
But the teenager dives deep – even out of the water.
“Success to me doesn’t mean medals,” she told the PA news agency.
“I want to go there focused, determined and happy. I want to return with the feeling that I made the most of it, I gave it my all.
“A competition doesn’t define who I am, but I really want to leave memories. Without these memories, these medals are worthless.”
Spendolini-Sirieix diving in competition earlier this year. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
‘I was simply Fred Sirieix’s daughter’
The teenager previously admitted she found it “a bit difficult” being known predominantly as Fred Sirieix’s daughter in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics.
“My name wasn’t in the paper,” she told Olmpics.com in 2022.
“I was simply Fred Sirieix’s daughter, which was quite difficult because I was diving, but my name didn’t appear.
“So this year, a little bit, the papers started saying ‘Andrea.’ And then my name repeated itself a little more, a little more.
“It’s great to finally have this recognition and know that I’m the diver. My name is Andrea. Dad does his job and is amazing at it, but it’s great to build my own identity from my own achievements.”
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The pair have a strong relationship, with Sirieix a vocal supporter of his daughter on social media.
He was also seen crying when his daughter won individual gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
His daughter says they are “proud” of each other’s achievements.
Fred Sirieix ‘very nervous’ to talk about daughter’s diving
The television maitre d’ will provide on-air commentary during summer games coverage – but says he will avoid doing so while his daughter dives.
Fred Sirieix. Photo: AP
“I will be in the pool, watching Andrea, without working, I don’t want to comment on my daughter’s diving. It’s very important to me,” he told Radio Times.
“I will be speaking and commenting post-event, when everything is ready. I want to enjoy. Regardless of what happens, there will be tears.
“If anyone deserves a medal, it’s her little brother, who was dragged into the pool, sitting in the stands to watch the iPad or play with other kids he didn’t know.
“He’s the real hero of the story, but Mom and Dad don’t deserve a medal. That’s what parents do. You take care of your kids, you give them every opportunity you can.”
He said he will support Team GB because of his daughter’s affiliation with them and because he has met many British athletes.
“But I’m also proud to return to my country and show France to the British,” he added.
When will Spendolini-Sirieix compete?
Diving partners Lois Toulson (left) and Spendolini-Sirieix. Photo: Jacob King/PA
She will be in action for the first time today in the 10m synchronized platform jump alongside partner Lois Toulson, with the competition starting at 10am.
She will then compete in the individual 10m platform dive on August 5th.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
