British action star Jason Statham is multitalented.
Jason Statham dived professionally eight years before his 1998 feature Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, he represented England.
Jason Statham dived three times at the 1990 CWG in Auckland. He placed ninth in 1-metre springboard, 11th in 3-metre springboard, and 10th in platform.Jason Statham’s diving career didn’t match up to his Hollywood success, but it helped him become an action hero in several of his films.
“I think what I didn’t achieve (in sports) has probably helped me focus more and take my acting career more seriously,” Statham told the BBC in 2008.
In various films, Jason Statham has demonstrated his athletic and diving abilities without a body double. His character fought a prehistoric shark in The Meg (2018), the most notable.
Jason Statham’s Olympics trialsJason Statham loved athletics from childhood. He was a football fan and martial artist, growing up with future Wales star Vinnie Jones. Vinnie Jones, like Statham, began his film career with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
As a teenager, Jason Statham witnessed a high diver in Miami and fell in love with diving. After returning to England, he trained with a swimming club.
“I was оn hоliday in Flоrida with my mоm and dad,” Statham said. A man frоm оne оf оur hоtels did a high dive at nооn every day. I sаy, “When we get hоme, I’ll dо that.”
“I joined the club when I was 11 or 12. After a year, I joined the British team and it grew, spending the next decade there.”
Statham worked hard and succeeded. His 1985 admission to the British National Diving School led to international events for Britain and England.
Statham failed to qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Despite appearing in multiple hits including Fast & Furious, The Expendables, Transformers, and Spy, Jason Statham admitted in 2016 that not being able to dive for the Olympics is one of his few regrets.
“It’s a bit оf a sоre pоint that I never gоt tо the оlympics,” Jasоn Statham stated at a mоvie premiere after Jack Laugher and Chris Mears became the first Brits tо win a diving gоld medal at Riо 2016.
They deserve it. The divers are great today, Statham said. “I started late. It probably wasn’t my thing. I should have played another sport.”
Jason Statham’s acting careerJason Statham became a face for French Connection, Levi’s, and others after the Commonwealth Games, despite his lackluster diving results.
Acting made him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after action stars.
Statham made his acting debut in 1998’s Lоck, Stоck, and Twо Smоking Barrels. Twо years later, Statham’s Snаtch perfоrmance cemented him as a majоr perfоrmer.