Peter Waterfield
British diver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Graham Waterfield (born 12 March 1981) is a British former diver and Olympic silver medalist.[1]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Graham Waterfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 March 1981 Waltham Forest, London, England, United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Southampton, England, United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 10 m, 10 m synchro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Southampton Diving Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Tom Daley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diving career
Waterfield's specialist event during his career was the 10-metre platform event, both as solo competitor and in the synchronised event with his former partner Leon Taylor. Despite their noticeable height difference (Peter is only 5 ft 6 in or 1.68 m, Leon is almost 5 ft 11 in or 1.80 m) in a discipline normally requiring as much uniformity as possible, they turned in strong synchronised performances. Waterfield and Taylor came in fourth at the men's synchronised 10-metre platform in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In the diving events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, they won the silver medal in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform – Britain's first Olympic diving medal since Brian Phelps in 1960.
In the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, Waterfield's best solo showing came when he won the 10-metre gold medal. In the 2006 Commonwealth Games he won a silver medal.
For the 2011 season, Waterfield was paired in the synchronised competitions with teenager Tom Daley; Daley had finished 7th in the individual competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was also a British and European champion. During the 2012 London Olympics, Waterfield and Daley achieved an agonising 4th-placed finish in the 10 m synchro diving competition after dropping their 4th dive.
Waterfield announced his retirement from diving in July 2013, at the age of 32, following a decision to cut his funding by UK Sport.[2]
Personal life
Born in London, he lives in Southampton with his wife Tania and their two sons, Lewis (born 2001) and Marshall (born 2008). Waterfield is a member of the diving club and was coached during his diving career by Lindsey Fraser. He was awarded an honorary MSc by the University of Chichester in 2005.[3] In January 2013, it was announced that Waterfield, who had been losing hair since his early 20s, had undergone a hair transplantation operation in order to look "more appealing to TV companies and big brands seeking sponsors."[4]