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Diving

At the London 2012 Games, Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below.

Did you know?

At Seoul 1988, America’s Greg Louganis fell unconscious into the pool after hitting his head on the 3m springboard at the start of a preliminary-round dive. Amazingly, he recovered to win the gold medal in the final.

The Olympic sport of Aquatics includes four disciplines: Synchronised Swimming, Swimming, Water Polo and Diving.

In the 19th century, gymnasts performed over water in an exercise called ‘fancy diving’. This led to the development of modern-day Diving.

Key facts

Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August 2012
Medal events: 8
Athletes: 136 (68 men, 68 women)

Competitive diving developed from gymnastics in the 18th century, when gymnasts in Sweden and Germany began to perform tumbling routines into water. Along with Swimming, Synchronised Swimming and Water Polo, the elegant yet dramatic sport of Diving is one of four disciplines that make up the Olympic sport of Aquatics.

The basics

The eight Olympic diving events – four for men, four for women – feature either a springboard, 3m above the pool, or a fixed platform, set at a height of 10m. Springboards must be at least 4.8m long and 50cm wide, while platforms should be at least 6m long and 3m wide.

Judges award a score out of 10 for each dive, which is adjusted to take into account the dive’s degree of difficulty. In the Synchronised Diving events, pairs of athletes dive in tandem and are also assessed for their level of synchronisation.

Olympic Diving, past and present

Diving made its Olympic debut in 1904, where medals were awarded for men in the 10m Platform and the Plunge for Distance (a Diving long jump event, which never again appeared on the Olympic programme). Synchronised Diving made its first Olympic appearance at Sydney in 2000.

At London 2012, the Diving competition will take place at the dazzling new Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, designed by acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid and built especially for the Games.

Jargon buster

Armstand: A platform dive that begins from a handstand position.
Platform: A fixed diving board, at least 6m long and 3m wide.
Pike: A diving position for which the diver bends the body at the hips, keeping the legs straight.
Springboard: A flexible diving board, at least 4.8m long and 50cm wide.
Tuck: A diving position for which the diver curls up into a ball, holding the shins towards the body.

Get involved

The best place to start diving is at your local pool. If you want to know more about clubs, facilities and coaching schemes in your area, check the websites for the International Swimming Federation, British Swimming, Scottish Swimming, Welsh Amateur Swimming Association or Swim Ulster.