The day did not start off well for American diver Alison Gibson. On her first dive in the preliminary round of the Olympic women's 3m springboard competition, her feet crashed into the springboard when she was in a tucked position of her somersault. After a loud bang and gasps from the audience, Gibson fell awkwardly into the water, making a splash and failing to go in head first. Her dive was judged as a non-dive and she got zero points.

Gibson, however, kept going and finished her remaining four dives with as much composure as she could muster, but she still finished last, marking the end of her Olympic journey.

"I hit my heels and my feet on the board," Gibson told reporters at the end of the competition. "I have cuts along the sides, and then I bruised my right heel pretty good, but I was determined to keep going."

Gibson said she "definitely was in pain," but she kept going because she wanted to set an example to other young athletes who were watching.

"But one thing that I say is I hope that anyone who is watching just was able to see what it looks like to get up and keep going even when things don't go the way you want them to. It's about the fight," she added. "Obviously, today didn't go the way I wanted it to, but I think you can learn and grow from every experience, and I truly hope that the next generation of athletes recognize that even in the worst moments you can keep fighting, you can walk courageously."

The 25-year-old Gibson almost retired from diving after finishing last in the Tokyo Games three years ago in the synchronized springboard event. She decided to return to the sport, however, and make a bigger impact the second time around. She is sponsoring a school child in Kenya via Missions of Hope International, a non-profit organization, and hoped her Olympic experience could shine a light on everything the group does.

"I decided I didn't just want to come back for diving, but I wanted to have an impact beyond myself," she said. "My mission is for every single child at that school to be sponsored by the end of the Olympics. I really hope that the courage I showed today has a positive impact on those around me."