A 10th-place finish in the men’s individual 3-meter springboard final Tuesday isn’t how Michael Hixon wanted his 2016 Summer Olympics to end.
Especially after the Amherst native won a silver medal in the 3-meter synchronized diving event with Sam Dorman.
“Just finished up my Olympic experience, and although not the final we had hoped for, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be in the fight,” Hixon wrote in an Instagram post thanking Drew Johansen, his coach at Indiana and with Team USA.
Disappointing end notwithstanding, Hixon put on a show for the Pioneer Valley.
“The synchro was amazing. They nailed everything. I was on my feet,” Northampton diving coach Lou Ann Bierwert. “The individual, I’m sure he’s disappointed. I’m sure he worked really hard to get there and didn’t put together his most consistent performance.
Hixon’s effort inspired Amherst Regional diver Luca Brashear, the reigning Western Massachusetts champion who will be a junior this season.
“It’s really amazing to see, especially someone like Michael, just a kid from my town, be in the Olympics and medal,” Brashear said. “It’s definitely inspiring and uplifting to see that.”
He didn’t watch Hixon’s individual dives but caught the synchronized event.
“I thought that Michael did a really good job. I thought him and his partner played the upper hand because they were really ready for the weather and anything,” Brashear said.
Hixon, the son of UMass diving coach Mandy Hixon and Amherst College men’s basketball coach Dave Hixon, spoke about the support he received from Western Massachusetts leading up to the Olympics.
The support hasn’t waned despite his up and down performances.
“It was amazing to watch. Top 10 human beings out of 7 billion on the 3-meter board, that’s not too shabby,” Amherst Regional swimming coach Sean Clark said. “Hometown hero. It really resonates when you actually know somebody doing amazing things.”
Clark hopes it can bolster his diving ranks for the Hurricanes.
“It’s such a great sport. It’s fun to watch. It’s even more fun to do. I hope it generates some interest. Even for the kids in the area to give it a try,” he said. “It would really be a great boon. It’s an event. Swimming and diving, they go together, and we’re a team.”
While coaches like Bierwert can’t point to the specific skills Hixon executes and say, “be like that,” there are teachable moments in Hixon’s performance.
“This is what hard work and dedication can get you,” Bierwert said. “If you put in the effort you can do anything you really want to do.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.