A harsh assessment perhaps for a boy who was just 14 years and 81 days old, the second youngest British male Olympian, when he took to the 10m platform at the National Aquatic Centre along with partner Blake Aldridge.

But after it emerged that the two divers had had a spat between dives, with Aldridge accusing Daley of suffering an attack of nerves, it was one with which the precociously-articulate Daley apparently agreed after trailing in last of eight finalists.

"We just had a bad day," Daley admitted. "We didn't dive very well, it was disappointing.

"there was a lot of pressure on me and I was very nervous. But it's an experience which will be good for 2012."

That was the one positive to cling on to and when the London Olympics come around then Britain might well have the finished article, a diver who has learned how to conquer the world.

It was a subject Aldridge who, unlike Daley, does not have the advantage of a second chance in the individual event in 10 days' time, was eager to pursue.

Aldridge said: "Tom's got a lesson to learn. I hope he takes a lot of experience from this into the individual.

"In a syncho tournament both of you have to be on your game and that just didn't happen."

So the nerves had got the better of Daley. Hardly surprising. After all, for all his apparent composure he is still just a kid and those who say the age limit in diving should be 16 as it is in gymnastics will be nodding knowingly.

Indeed, it would have been a miracle if Daley's head was not spinning with the Olympic experience.

Not only has he been passing the time of day with such giants as US basketball's Coby Bryant and Wimbledon tennis champion Rafael Nadal in the athletes' village, he found himself on the front cover of the China Daily News.

Daley has also been interviewed by NBC television in America. They love a cute kid story, while the New York Times had sent their feature writer along to craft a special piece on the schoolboy, regardless of the outcome.

Daley also received his first taste of the infamous mixed zone at a major event when reporters gathered to speak to him.

It is no exaggeration to say that he caused more of a
stir than American president George Bush who had made an impromptu visit to the centre on Sunday with what seemed like half the White House in tow.

Chinese snails could have overtaken Daley as he made his way down the lines of the world's press men who all wanted a word with him. The boy, lest we forget, who came last.

Meanwhile, medallists passed by largely unnoticed in the background. Welcome to the strange world of sport.

Daley said: "I can't wait to make up for what I did in the diving."

At which point we should cut him some slack. The Olympics is an unforgiving stage, especially when your body is far from its prime, your mind unnused to the whirl of intense action and opponents such as China's Youe Lin and Liang Huo performing with gold medal like smoothness.

There is no time for rehearsal in the synchronised event – it is a straight final. No time to get used to the pool.

Every dive counts. One mistake, one tetchy moment and you can kiss goodbye to a medal.

And after lying joint third after their first forward half somersault Daley and Aldridge somehow contrived to get their inward three half somersault, their third dive, completely out of synch. Not good that in a synchronised tournament.
They plummeted to last and while thereafter they jockeyed for the worst pair on show with the Cubans they took the dunces' prize with a poor post-spat final dive.

No need for detention. A harsh lesson had been learned.