Olympics host broadcaster Channel 9 has been slammed for tasking former Australian men’s cricket captain Mark Taylor with commentating the diving.
Taylor is an experienced and respected broadcaster, having called cricket all over the world for almost three decades.
But his credentials in diving are not as obvious, it would be fair to say. In fact, they are nil.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
For that reason, it came as a shock to Australian viewers to hear Taylor’s voice narrating the women’s synchronised three-metre springboard final on Saturday night (AEST), in which Aussies Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith were competing.
Some cut him a bit of slack and praised his effort despite being somewhat out of his depth, but TV veteran Tim Bailey was not as forgiving, especially to the network, for putting him in that position.
“Mark Taylor calling the diving. A wonderful cricketer. But a little disrespectful to the athletes,” Bailey said.
“’Tubby’ probably knows nothing about this sport. He’s admitted as much. The EP (executive producer) who made this decision? Your last. #bellyflop.”
Bailey worked at Channel 10 for over 30 years as a journalist and weather presenter, and has also spent time as a radio host.
AAP’s Oliver Caffrey thought watching Taylor commentate the diving was like listening to the famous satirical cricket series by comedian Billy Birmingham.
“Mark Taylor commentating on the diving sounds like a 12th Man bit,” he said.
A number of fans also chimed in.
“Former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor is commenting the diving. Channel 9 has already jumped the shark. It’s the first half hour,” one said.
Another added: “Former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor commentating the diving. Channel 9 absolutely taking the piss with their Olympics team providing jobs for the boys and girls who have no business being there.”
A third joked: “Mark Taylor has long been recognised as the world’s foremost authority on Olympic competition diving.”
There was no shortage of drama in the event either, with Smith later describing how she “screamed underwater” after being responsible for the calamitous final dive that cost her and diving partner Keeney Australia’s first medal in Paris.
The tears flowed after the shattered pair delivered a shocking final effort.
It dropped them from third to fifth, just when it seemed they were set to 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 — two-and-a-half somersaults with one twist in pike position.
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, (I’ve) got to not let that define me, though. We’ve done some pretty amazing things across our 10 years.”
Asked if her heart had sunk as soon as she took off awkwardly from the right edge of the board, Smith smiled ruefully: “I screamed underwater — I was hoping the underwater cam wasn’t on. It’s just disappointing, very disappointing.”
Lying less than a point behind the eventual US silver medallists Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook (314.64 points) going into the last round, the Australians — who had delivered the second best dives in the two previous rounds — looked set to at least equal their Rio performance of eight years ago when they won bronze.
“I dunno,” shrugged Smith, when asked about the fail. “That’s diving — trying to control our bodies and spin lots of times on an uneven, very bouncy plank.
“Had a bad hurdle and landed on the side of the board, which obviously affects the rest of the dive. It’s just unfortunate.”
Hitting the pool well out of synch, they were awarded the worst score — 48.60 points — of the final round for a final tally of 292.20, dropping them behind Britain’s bronze medallists Yasmin Harper and Scarlet Mew Jensen and fourth-placed Italians Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani.
China’s world champions Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen (337.68) were again in a class of their own as they struck gold.
Perth’s Keeney, the 28-year-old three-time world champ, and Smith had won silver at the world championships in Doha and had expected to repeat the feat behind the dominant Chinese pair.
“Maddi and I put a lot of hard work into synchro obviously, and we had a lot of expectation from ourselves and obviously from other people as well,” said Smith.
“Obviously, it’s gonna hit me a bit after this, but I’ve still got to kick on, I’m not dying, so I’m all right.
“I just feel bad for letting the team down.”
– With AAP