Tom Daley not only underperformed in the 10 metre synchronised diving today but he was blamed afterwards by his partner, Blake Aldridge, for letting him down.

“I didn’t blow anything and so I can go home happy with my performance,” Aldridge said, “but unfortunately it’s a partnership, you both have to be on the top of your game. I wasn't on the top of my game but Tom was nowhere near the top of his."

Daley and Aldridge finished last in the eight-man field earlier today when they had been expected to finish sixth with a long-shot chance of a bronze. “I knew we were capable of a medal but I knew it would depend on how Tom performed. But I outdived Thomas today and that’s not something that normally happens and that, to me, is because Tom had a lot more pressure on him than I did. Tom was very nervous; more so than ever before and I think he really struggled to get through the competition."

Had all the publicity made it harder for Daley? “Certainly,” Aldridge said. “I think that’s the sole reason why it went the way it did. I’m not disappointed with my performance today at all.”

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Aldridge also said that he had been trying to calm his partner but that, between the fifth and sixth dives, Daley had “had a pop” at him. “When were sitting down,” he explained, “I saw my Mum in the audience and I asked her to give me a call and Tom went to me ‘Why are you on the phone? We’re in a competition, we’ve got another dive to do.’”

Aldridge’s interpretation of this was that “that is Thomas over-nervous; that is how it was today. Thomas should not be worrying about what I’m doing; today he was worrying about everyone and everything and that to me is the sole reason why he didn’t perform today.”

The Tom Daley story will get better and better. But today in Beijing’s Water Cube was just one of the early chapters.

There is a nice intimate atmosphere here by the diving pool. At poolside were Team GB, the coaches, and next to them, other members of the diving squad, waving flags and taking video as if they were fans. Not far behind them was Gerry Sutcliffe, the sports minister, and Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister.

When Daley and Aldridge walked out to be introduced, he still looked as if he was here having an exciting day out. The way his youth has managed to shut out concepts like pressure and expectation appeared to have taken him all the way to the pool deck. Then, immediately before the competition started, the TV cameras caught a splendid picture of the pair of them laughing together in the shower.

So that was all very nice indeed. And then it all began, reality hit and the “Boy’s Own” story was quietly closed. It was then that you had to remind yourself that the reason that Daley has occupied more column inches than any other member of the British team is because he is a 14-year-old. Not because anyone expected him to win. Not that anyone expected them to get a medal either. The best bet was a bronze. The hype, which may have been a trifle misleading, was a celebration of his youth and potential, not remotely his ability to deliver here. Daley’s achievements are still astonishing, but they are not to do with what he might win here, but the fact that he got here.

Daley and Aldridge stayed in touch for bronze medal contention for just two rounds and then the competition just started going away from them. After three rounds they were in last place, thereafter their competition was with the Cubans for seventh.

They lost that. And Daley may well lose plenty more before the winning on a stage like this begins.