THERE is nothing worse for a sportsperson than failing to achieve your goals. Except, perhaps, having to come to terms with the fact that they have already been realised.

Jack Laugher has spent most of his life dreaming of becoming an Olympic diving champion. Every hour of training, every early morning spent driving to the pool, was worth it because the lure of an Olympic gold medal was so strong.

Last August, the Ripon diver won that gold medal, teaming up with Chris Mears in the 3m synchronised springboard event as the pair became Britain’s first Olympic diving champions. In the space of a golden hour, all of the 22-year-old’s dreams came true.

A shower of accolades followed, with Laugher finding himself thrust into the celebrity spotlight as he was invited to a host of awards ceremonies and awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

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Then, at the turn of the year, it was time to return to reality. Leeds’ John Charles Centre for Sport, where Laugher and Mears are both based, can be a fairly foreboding venue in the middle of winter, but it is now the crucible for the second part of the youngster’s career.

With an Olympic medal around his neck, it would be easy for Laugher to lack inspiration. Yet having returned to action with a double success at last weekend’s British National Cup, he insists there is still plenty for him to achieve. Retirement, which was once considered a possibility in the wake of such a career-defining victory, remains a long way off.

“I’ve always dreamed my entire life of getting an Olympic medal, and I always said when I was younger that if I got an Olympic gold, I would go out as a champion and retire,” said Laugher. “I would go out as a champion and retire – I can’t ever be beaten then because I would never compete again.

“But at the age of 21 (he turned 22 last week), loving diving, every day was brilliant – I’d achieved my dream of being an Olympic gold medallist, but I felt like there was still more to do.

“A perfect example is that I didn’t win the 3m individual. At Europeans, Commonwealths and Olympics, I’ve finished second place in all of them, so that’s something to work on.

“I’ve never got a World Championship gold medal. There’s so much more in my life that I’d like to achieve.

“I think the Olympic gold medal for both of us is a stepping stone in our career, it’s definitely the defining moment, but it’s not the end for us. We’re going to come back this year and next year, and so on and so forth, and really try to hit those medals as hard as we can.”

Last weekend’s performances in Plymouth suggest Laugher is more than capable of picking up where he left off last year, with his double victory representing an ideal start to the new season.

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He was back in tandem with Mears to claim the 3m synchro title, with the pair’s score of 415.02 representing a strong statement of intent ahead of the opening World Series event in Beijing next month.

Laugher also won gold in the 1m springboard with a score of 395.40, and while he opted not to compete in the 3m individual final because of a slight injury niggle, the problem should not prevent him competing in China.

“It was brilliant to start the season out so positively,” said Laugher. “415.02 is a great score, especially as we’re only in February now, so we’ve got a long way to go until the World Championships. We’re got a lot to work on, but it’s a really positive start.

“Coming off the Olympics being our last competition it was a bit daunting, but I think we had a really positive performance and I’m really happy with how it’s gone.

“We’ve both just had about two-and-a-half months off – it was well needed and well deserved. It was a well-needed break to relax and regather ourselves to get back to where we needed to be so we can start fresh, and we’re wanting to become better every day. It was a bit difficult coming back, but we enjoyed ourselves and had a good time.”

Next month’s World Series opener will provide an even better indication of where Laugher and Mears are at in relation to their leading rivals, with further World Series events in Russia and Canada following quickly on the calendar.

The European Championships are scheduled for Kiev in June, with July’s World Championships in Budapest representing the major target for the year.

“I potentially might do 1m at the European Championships,” said Laugher, who is a house-mate with Mears as well as a team-mate on the British squad. “I’m competing on 1m now so it might be a good event to do.

“Then we’ve got the World Championships in Budapest. It’s a massive one at the end of the year, and one we really want to try and hit hard and try to show our best again.

“We want to get on that rostrum again and show that we’re not just one-trick ponies, we are the best in the world.”