Jack Laugher's Team GB Diving Success Shows We Should Back Sportsmen, Not Brands

Even BBC Sport hasn't been embarrassed to admit it.

Moments after the highlights package that showed Jack Laugher's performance in the three-meter springboard final on Tuesday, TV presenter Clare Balding was quick to enthusiastically remind viewers of when they can catch a glimpse of the "better-known Tom Daley" later this week.

It was a moment that summed up the problem with sport; too often we celebrate brands and not success.

It's not Daley's fault that he is the poster boy of British diving. Enjoying a rapid rise as a teenager, his profile has helped raise the sport's image and delivered it to the consciousness of millions of Britons.

But heading into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, his record on the biggest stage wasn't exactly outstanding. Prior to Rio, Daley had just one bronze to his name, won in the 10-meter platform at the 2012 London Games. He's added to that in Brazil with another bronze, this time in the 10-meter synchronised dive.

Laugher has never been too far behind Daley with his exploits at World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Now in Rio, he has made history as Team GB's first-ever gold medallist in diving when he took the top prize with his diving partner, Chris Mears, in the three-meter synchronised springboard last week.

It was an incredible achievement; an equally impressive performance to take the Olympic crown.

But still the buzz is about Daley, who has come nowhere near achieving what Laugher has at the Olympics. The latter's silver medal on Tuesday makes him arguably one of his country's finest-ever Olympians, and yet fans of diving—new and old—are being fed a diet of Daley.

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Laugher's tally of two medals isn't what impresses most about him; those stats are irrelevant here. If we're talking those sort of statistics, he's never going to compare with any of the cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins or Jason Kenny, who have been serial winners in the velodrome or on the road.

The likes of Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell also have multiple Olympic golds to their name on the bike, reinforcing what a fine cycling team Team GB have nurtured since the Beijing Games.

Laugher stands out as he's making history in his sport, though. He's pushing back the boundaries and giving Britain a standing in a place where they have never really had one. Bucking the trend takes character and no shortage of talent. And history always remembers; being the first by default puts an athlete in the rank of the greatest.

Whereas Daley may well have been a trailblazer coming through the junior ranks and the early days of his senior career, winning what he has in Rio, Laugher blows Daley's achievements out of the water.

And for a sport as niche as diving, Laugher and his teammate Mears are now setting the tone. So why aren't they being celebrated in the same way we see Daley's name being pushed? Why wasn't Laugher's three-meter springboard final as actively pushed as Daley's?

A big part of it is the PR machine. Daley has been the familiar face since before the London Games, and regardless of what he achieves off the board, his name and face carries a brand. Casual observers see him and immediately associate with aquatics.

Isn't about time that changed? Shouldn't we be celebrating and actively promoting greatness? Shouldn't the biggest stars actually be those who win the most important medals, namely the golds?

That's what Laugher has done in Rio, yet he's hardly recognisable, and the publicity he receives—or lack thereof—isn't going to change that any time soon. It doesn't seem to fit the billing that he's a relative unknown and is succeeding. It's a nice narrative, but with Daley the bigger name, the concerted effort is for him to win and bring a justification for the exposure he gets.

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The impression is that British diving put all its eggs in one basket with the 22-year-old as he emerged and now all those around Daley are just picking up the scraps.

By taking home two medals in Rio, Laugher has done more for his sport than Daley ever will if he doesn't start turning those bronze medals into something more substantial. That's not to criticise what he has achieved—any podium finish at the Olympic Games should be cheered—but Daley doesn't deserve the attention he gets. It's Laugher and his fellow gold medallist, Mears.

Any young fans who have been inspired to take up diving after Rio will be chasing what the pair have. It's their success that will drive a generation and instill belief that Britain can achieve things.

Brands and PR offer nothing substantial. Behind the glitz and the carefully constructed messages, it's all just fluff. There isn't much else to back it up, which is why industries can eat themselves. With nothing to fall back on, there's only so far a brand can push itself before it gets found out.

Daley still has to compete in the men's 10-meter individual event on Friday, so he can go some way to equalling what Laugher has so far achieved. That would be a big boost to him and the sport, but it's all about what ifs in this instance. Laugher is doing it and has done it, so where's his publicity?

It was once that we mentioned diving and Daley's name was the only thing that seemed marketable. On the back of the Rio Games and Laugher's achievements, that has to change.