Olympics-Diving-British teenager Daley refuses to be downcast

By Lindsay Beck

BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Britain's 14-year-old diving prodigy Tom Daley put on a brave face after placing last in his Olympic debut on Monday, saying he had "great fun" and would be steadier in his next event. Daley and partner Blake Aldridge placed eighth in the men's synchronised 10 metre platform final, a competition won by the Chinese duo of Lin Yue and Huo Liang, who dominated the event from the first dive.

"It was really good fun, it was really exciting. It was a good experience, but you know, it wasn't the best that we've dived and it was a bit disappointing," Daley told reporters.

Daley became Britain's second-youngest Olympian when he took his first leap off the dizzyingly high platform on Monday, and his presence in Beijing has been causing a media frenzy.

The 1.57-metre tall Daley has said he was here for the experience and looking to the 2012 Games in London as his chance to shine. He won the European platform title in March.

Despite the shaky start, the British schoolboy from the western city of Plymouth lived up to his reputation for a cheerful disposition and poise and said he was now focused on his individual events.

"I've got that experience now, so I think that if I were to do that again, I'd do it better," he said. "I've got my nerves out of the way, so I've got rid of some of the cobwebs."

Daley will have until Aug. 22, when he competes in the preliminaries for the men's 10 metre platform, to prepare and said he had been taking advice and encouragement from former British Olympians.

In the meantime, the teenager, who juggles school work with his training schedule, said he just having a good time.

"It was great fun out there, everything's been amazing this Olympics," he said.

"It's always been my dream to go into the Olympics. Now I can say I'm an Olympian so it's all good." (Editing by Keith Weir) (For more stories visit our multimedia website "2008 Summer Olympics" here; and see our blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)