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1 month ago
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Aussie TV star Tim Bailey has torched the unusual decision to have cricket great Mark Taylor commentate diving at the Paris Olympics, insisting it is disrespectful to the athletes.
The former Test skipper surprised some Channel 9 viewers on Saturday night when he voiced the action during the women's synchronised 3m springboard final - Bailey most of all.
'Mark Taylor calling the diving. A wonderful cricketer. But a little disrespectful to the athletes,' Bailey posted on X.
'Tubby probably knows nothing about this sport. He's admitted as much. The (executive producer) who made this decision? Your last.'
Many sports fans agreed with Bailey, and posted their thoughts.
'Mark Taylor commentating on the diving sounds like a 12th Man bit,' AAP sports journalist Oliver Caffrey wrote.
'Tubby Taylor calling the diving at the Olympics wasn't on my bingo card this year,' posted another.
'How does the choice of Tubby Taylor to be commentating the synchronised diving pass a board meeting?' replied another.
Aussie TV star Tim Bailey (pictured) slammed the decision to have Mark Taylor commentate the diving at the Paris Games
The former Test skipper called the action in the women’s synchronised springboard final on Saturday night
Other fans were happy to hear from the cricket legend.
'Loving Tubby Taylor's insights on the synchronised diving,' wrote one fan
'Mark Taylor calling the #diving on Nine. What a time to be alive! The art of perfect entry called like the art of a perfect cover drive,' joked another.
Meanwhile, a calamitous final dive by Aussie Anabelle Smith cost her and diving partner Maddison Keeney Australia's first medal of the Paris Olympics.
It dropped them from third to fifth, just when it seemed they were set to even grab silver on the opening afternoon of the Games at the Paris Aquatics Centre.
The normally trusty double act, regular podium placers at major championships, made a hash of their last difficult dive - a two-and-a-half somersaults with one twist in pike.
A last-dive mistake cost Aussies Maddison Keeney and Anabel Smith a first Aussie medal
It left 31-year-old Smith, in her fourth Games, blaming herself for a slip off the right edge of the board.
'Yeah, pretty brutal. I can't change it now, so no point dwelling on it,' the Melburnian said, after the tears subsided.
'Really, that stuff happens. It happens to the best of the best, and unfortunately it was my day today. So got to not let that define me, though. We've done some pretty amazing things across our 10 years.'
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