Fred Sirieix has revealed the rollercoaster of emotions he has been on while watching his daughter compete at the Paris Olympics.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, won a bronze medal in the 10m synchronised dive last week, but only finished in sixth place on Tuesday’s event for the second Olympics in a row.
Fred was seen praising his daughter at the poolside, after she heart wrenchingly revealed she had ‘not wanted to be alive three years ago’, following a tough debut games in Tokyo without any support due to Covid.
‘I’ve watched her all over the world and I do get this kind of anxiety and this stress and I always say to myself, ‘Fred you cannot be like that — because maybe you are projecting’, he said in an interview with the Telegraph.
Fred Sirieix has revealed the rollercoaster of emotions he has been on while watching his daughter compete at the Paris Olympics
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, won a bronze medal in the 10m synchronised dive last week, but only finished in sixth place on Tuesday’s event for the second Olympics in a row
Fred was seen praising his daughter at the poolside, after she heart wrenchingly revealed she had ‘not wanted to be alive three years ago’, following a tough debut games in Tokyo without any support due to Covid
Women’s Synchronised 10m Platform where Team GB won the bronze medal
‘I have nerves and excitement — all sorts of emotions; there will be tears no matter what. Andrea started when she was eight. She had a talent but what got her there was the hard work.’
He went on to say how Andrea is his ‘total inspiration’ because of her commitment and dedication to the sport.
Yesterday the First Dates host shared a behind-the-scenes snap of Andrea addressing cameras with his arm around her following her dive as well as some family pictures of him with his two children walking around Paris.
The celebrity maitre’d finished his post with a throwback snap of him with Andrea on his shoulders as a little girl clutching a handful of candyfloss.
The proud father captioned the post: ‘Thank you for this incredible adventure and the inspiration Andrea. What a beautiful moment! You and your brother are the best thing I have ever done and will ever do ❤️ #lavieestbelle’
Spendolini-Sirieix missed out on becoming the first British woman to claim two Olympic diving medals in the 10m platform after finishing sixth, with a score of 345.50.
China’s Quan Hongchan would go on to claim gold with her team-mate Chen Yuxi taking silver and north Korea’s Kim Mi-rae took bronze.
In the post he shared a video of his daughter’s dive before a picture of the two of them hugging afterwards alongside a heartfelt message of love and support
The Olympic diver, 19, won a bronze in the 10m synchronised dive last week, but finished in sixth place on Tuesday for the second Olympics in a row
Team GB star Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix during the Women’s 10m Platform Final
‘You did your best Andrea,’ the father said, before pulling in his daughter for a hug
Great Britain’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix during the Women’s 10m Platform Final at the Aquatics Centre
Spendolini-Sirieix had previously opened up to Mail Sport on the difficulties she has had during her career, describing that she once endured a ‘mental block’ similar to the ‘twisties’ in gymnastics.
For six months she was unable to jump off of the 10m platform and feared her professional career would be over.
Fred, who was born in France, also hopes that the success of the games in ‘sexy Paris’ will help improve Anglo-French relations.
He said as he gushed about the beauty of Paris: ‘There is so much that has come from this Franco-British collaboration. There is so much inspiration that has come from both countries and I think the Olympics is a great example of that; of how we managed to partner, do something together and get inspired by each other.’
Brits at this games are the second largest group of fans there, behind only France, after it was revealed by the Olympic Committee in January that UK revelers had bought half a million tickets for different events.
‘I can’t help but think of London 2012, how it brought the country together, the sense of pride and belonging that everybody felt,’ Fred continued.
‘The French want to do the same. I was in tears at the [London] Opening Ceremony. I’m cheering on Team GB and France.’
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