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Olympic champion diver says he turned to drugs

The Columbian
Published: November 15, 2012, 4:00pm

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian 10-meter platform diver Matt Mitcham says he battled a methamphetamine addiction in 2011 that almost derailed his career and his life.

After winning the 10-meter gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, Mitcham failed to make the final 12 at the London Games this year.

In a book to be released on Monday, “Twists and Turns,” Mitcham reveals his battle with low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, panic attacks and repeated self-harm as a teenager, which helped begin his dependence on crystal meth.

Mitcham says that even after his Beijing gold medal win, he was still ranked No. 2 — “I had still failed to achieve my childhood dream of becoming the best in the world at something,” so he turned to drugs.

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