Jason Statham is known today for his facet as an actor. To find his first film- ‘Lock & Stock’ -you have to go back to 1998, the year he turned 31. Before that, he worked as a model for brands like Tommy Hilfiger or Levi’s, but his real beginnings were as an athlete, staying on the verge of participating in the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games.
In fact, the protagonist of ‘Awaken the Fury’ was a member of the British swimming team for 12 years and had already touched hands being one of the two English members of the English swimming team for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988. He came in third, but just two years later he had the biggest break of his career as a springboard diver at the 1990 Commonwealth Games , but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Touching on the Olympic dream
Statham’s passion for sports ran in the family, as his father was a boxer and gymnast, while his older brother was passionate about martial arts. The actor was also interested in martial arts, since Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li were among his idols, but everything changed at the age of 13 while on vacation with his parents. He saw someone practicing a jump from an elevated position and inspiration struck him.
The problem is that trampoline jumpers usually start training around four or five years of age and he didn’t start doing it seriously until he was 15, so everything was against him. That didn’t stop him from dedicating himself to trying to make his dream come true . About him: ” He was trying to win an Olympic gold medal .”
For more than a decade the unforgettable Chev Chelios from the ‘Crank’ saga was one of the best in England, but he always needed to take that last step forward to reach the Olympic Games. The 1990 Commonwealth Games were his chance to make amends, participating in the 1 meter, 3 meter and 10 meter categories.
Unfortunately, Statham fell far short of medals , placing eighth in the one meter category, eleventh in the three meter category, and tenth in the ten meter category. The video above belongs to the event that you may have already seen online on occasion, sometimes wrongly pointing out that it belonged to the Barcelona Olympic Games.
Facing the Olympics held in Spain in 1992, Statham once again collided with the fact that the British team only sent two springboard jumpers, leaving him again in third position. That was the straw that broke thevagueglass and led him to withdraw, regardless of the fact that that same year he had finished in twelfth place in the World Championship.
Withdrawal
In addition, the Sports Promotions agency noticed him shortly after his participation in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, signing him to work as a sports model. It didn’t take long for him to opt for that other professional career, leaving behind his years as a trampoline jumper.
On occasion, Statham has downplayed his years as an athlete, going so far as to classify it as ” a stupid hobby “, but has also stated that it was a ” cool experience ” that taught him discipline and focus. It’s a pity that he didn’t make his Olympic dream come true, but it can’t be said that things went wrong for him afterwards.
