Bryden Hattie has won his third SEC Championship for platform diving.
The senior at the University of Tennessee, who shared his story as a gay athlete on Outsports last year, will now take aim at an NCAA title, after having finished second in the event last year and third in 2022.
Hattie’s score of 475.20 on Friday blew away the competition, almost 80 points ahead of second-place Collier Dyer from Missouri. It is his fourth SEC Championship overall.
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“I was very stressed because the rest of the week I was kind of flopping,” Hattie told the SEC ESPN Network. “To be able to put it down on tower tonight and finish my SEC career with a win was very exciting. I’m really happy.”
Hattie finished fifth in the 3-meter and sixth in the 1-meter events. He was one of only two divers to earn a spot in the championship final of all three events, along with Florida’s Conor Gesing.
He talked after the event about one of his secret motivations: the reactions to his dives from head coach Dave Parrington.
“One of my favorite things is watching the videos and seeing Dave’s reaction. That makes it all worth it. So I’m like, I have to do good next time so I can get more of those.”
One of gay fans’ favorite things is Hattie’s Instagram page, where the “Gag City” resident is a star in and out of the pool.
Last year, Hattie competed for Canada at the Pan American Games, where he became a social-media darling along with bestie and Team USA diver Tyler Downs.
He also competed in several events at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
Will we see him later this year at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games? We can only hope he and Downs are able to team up in the City of Light for some social-media shenanigans.
You can follow Bryden Hattie on Instagram.
