Diving is one of four disciplines of the Olympic sport of Aquatics.

Did you know?

• The Olympic sport of Aquatics includes four disciplines: Synchronised Swimming, Swimming, Water Polo and Diving.
• One of the most dramatic Olympic Diving incidents took place at Seoul 1988. It involved the USA’s Greg Louganis, who fell unconscious into the pool after hitting his head on the three metre springboard at the start of a qualifying dive. Amazingly, he recovered to win the gold medal in the final.
• Pools must be at least five metres deep.
• In the 19th century, gymnasts performed over water in an exercise called ‘fancy diving’. This led to modern-day diving.
• A total of 1,350 athletes will compete to win 46 gold medals across the four disciplines of Aquatics at the 2012 Games.

Key facts
Venue: Aquatics Centre
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Athletes: 136
Gold medals up for grabs: 8

Diving: a history of the sport

Diving developed from gymnastics. It started in Sweden and Germany in the 18th century, when gymnasts started performing tumbling routines into the water.
In the late 19th century, a group of Swedish divers visited the UK. They put on diving displays that proved hugely popular and led to the formation of the first diving organisation, the Amateur Diving Association, in 1901.

For more information on the history of the sport, visit the IOC website.

Diving at the Games

Diving was first contested at the St Louis 1904 Games. Its appearance on the Olympic programme in both springboard and platform events has been continuous since 1908.

Synchronised Platform Diving and Synchronised Springboard Diving were added for the Sydney 2000 Games.

How the competition runs

Competitors perform a series of dives from either a springboard or a fixed platform, at a height of either three or 10 metres.

Judges award points up to 10 depending upon their elegance and skill. Points are adjusted for the degree of difficulty, based on the number and types of manoeuvres attempted, such as somersaults, pikes, tucks and twists.

In the Synchronised Diving events, pairs of athletes dive in tandem and receive an additional mark for their level of ‘synchronisation’.

Jargon buster

• Arm stand dive: A dive that begins from a handstand position, used only in platform diving.
• Platform: Fixed diving board at least six metres long and two metres wide, with a non-slip surface. For Synchronised Diving, the platform must be three metres wide.
• Pike: A diving position where the body is bent at the hips with the legs straight.
• Rip: The ideal entry that creates little splash, named for its ripping sound as the diver enters the water.
• Springboard: A flexible diving board that can be adjusted to create more or less spring. It must be at least 4.8 metres long and a half-metre wide, with a non-slip surface.

Get involved

To get started in diving, head down to your local pool. If you want to know more about clubs, facilities and coaching schemes in your area, contact your national federation.

Visit British Swimming, Federation Internationale de Natation, Scottish Swimming, Welsh Amateur Swimming Association or Swim Ulster.

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