Christopher James Mears (born 7 February 1993) is a British diver and DJ/Producer from Burghfield Common, near Reading, Berkshire. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the synchronised 3m springboard event with Jack Laugher and won gold, the first Olympic gold medal for Britain in diving.
Mears has won two further golds in Men's synchronized 3 metre springboard with Laugher at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018, one gold and one silver at the European Championships, and one bronze at the World Championships. Aside from diving, Mears also produces music and has released his own songs.
Early life
Mears was born on 7 February 1993 in Reading to Paul and Lorraine Mears. His biological mother died from breast cancer when he was three. His father then married Katy. Mears has an older sister, Natalie, and a younger brother, Charlie. Mears was educated at The Willink School, a co-educational state comprehensive school in the village of Burghfield in Berkshire.
From a young age, Mears attended diving classes at his local club in Reading. He started diving at the Reading Albatross Diving Club, later joining the Southampton Diving Club and began to compete in junior events.
In January 2009 when he was fifteen, Mears suffered a ruptured spleen while he was training in Sydney for the Youth Olympic Festival. He was suffering from glandular fever but was not displaying the usual symptoms. His organs were squeezed by swelling, and further aggravated by the impact of his dives, causing his spleen to rupture. After losing two litres of blood and being given a 5% chance of survival by doctors upon admission to the hospital, he was told it was likely he would never dive again. For several days he was kept alive by medical intervention and his platelet count was at 2. Upon discharge, Mears remained in Australia until fit to fly. However his family returned to their hotel room one morning to find him having a seizure on the floor. Mears suffered a 7-hour seizure in total which led to a three-day coma. Despite being told that he would never dive again, Mears made a slow introduction back into diving, and went on to compete eighteen months later at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. He was left with a 30-cm scar down the middle of his abdomen.
Diving career
2010–2011
This year marked Mears's return to the sport after his illness. On a National stage, he competed in the synchro with Nicholas Robinson-Baker as diving partner, claiming gold at National Cup and again at National Championships. He was placed 4th with Robinson-Baker at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Mears won gold at National Cup in 2011, and bronze at British Championships. Mears and Robinson-Baker won a silver medal during the 2011 FINA Diving World Series, were placed fourth in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
2012–2013
2012 saw him take silver at National Cup and bronze at British Championships. On 11 June 2012, the British Olympic Association announced that Mears had been selected to represent Great Britain in the 3-m springboard and 3M synchro, at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Mears's father, Paul was nominated by the B.O.A to carry the Olympic Torch during the 70-day relay in recognition of the time he spent at his son's bedside during his severe illness in 2009. Mears made it to the final of the men's 3-m springboard, placing 9th. His last dive was scored at 100.70, the highest scored dive of the competition. Mears and Robinson-Baker placed 5th in the synchro.
Mears competed in the World Series circuit with diving partner Robinson-Baker in the synchro, and also competed in the individual event. The pair won bronze in Edinburgh and bronze twice in Guadalajara, Mexico. Mears also scored a total of 455.50 points- fourth position in the individual 3m in Guadalajara, Mexico- his best individual World Series performance to date. Mears and Robinson-Baker ended 2013 ranked seventh best in the world by FINA. Mears also participated in the 2012 European Championships, finishing 8th in the 3 m springboard and 5th in the synchro event on the same occasion.
Mears also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's 3-metre springboard individually, and the 3-metre synchronised springboard event with his team-mate Nicholas Robinson-Baker. At the Olympics the pair finished in fifth place, while Mears was ninth in the individual competition.
In 2013, Mears teamed up with Jack Laugher in the 3-metre Springboard, but did not qualify for the final of the World Championships in Barcelona.