Rio 2016: Russian Olympic diving champion Ilya Zakharov bellyflops into last place

The 25-year-old won gold in the three-metre springboard event at London 2012

Zakharov hits the water head-on in the men's three-metre springboard

Russian diver Ilya Zakharov, who won gold in the men's three-metre springboard event at London 2012, may have produced one of the worst dives in Olympic history just four years later.

The 25-year-old St Petersburg-born competitor was eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Rio Games’ three-metre competition after a spectacularly poor bellyflop.

Zakharov received a round score of 0.0 from all seven judges, which ended his hopes of defending the 2012 title.

Leon Taylor, while commentating for BBC Sport, described Zakharov’s effort as “dismal” and a “complete knee tremble”.

The Russian finished with a total score of 345.60, the lowest of all 18 competitors in the semi-final.

Great Britain’s Jack Laugher, who won gold alongside Chris Mears in the synchronised three-metre springboard competition last week, is through to Tuesday’s final.

Laugher finished 12^th in the standings, the last qualification place, with a score of 389.40. China’s Cao Yuan led the rankings with a score of 489.10.