13 Diving Facts

1. Ireland's First Olympic Diver...

Was the mighty Eddie Heron, way back in 1948.

2. 68 years later...

Oliver Dingley finished 8th in the Final of the Men's 3M springboard at the 2016 Olympic Games.

3. No Irish female diver has competed at the Olympic Games, but...

Tanya Watson, Clare Cryan and Ciara McGing are all aiming to be Ireland's first female Olympic diver, with Tokyo 2021 on the horizon, and Paris 2024 fast approaching.

4. 10,000 Dives each season

The average number of dives each member of the Irish National Squad performs in one standard season is 10,000

5. Diving's First Olympic Games

Diving first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1904 and was Men Only.

6. Women competed from 1912

Women first competed in diving at the Olympics in 1912.

7. Olympic Diving has only 2 individual events

Currently there are only two individual events in Olympic Diving - 3M Springboard and 10M Platform.

8. Synchronised Diving came in 2000

Synchronised diving appeared in the Olympic Games in 2000.

9. High Diving is completely different

High Diving is a completely separate FINA aquatic discipline - Men compete from 27M and Women from 20M.

10. High Divers can hit 90km/h

Before hitting the water in high diving, divers reach speeds up to 90 KM/h and the entry is always performed feet first.

11. The term 'Rip Entry' is related to sound

A perfect dive will make no splash as the diver enters the water; this is known as a 'Rip Entry'. The name originates from the ripping sound made when a diver enters the water.

12. Modern Day springboards were invented by Ray Rude

Ray Rude revolutionised springboard diving when he invented the modern day Duraflex springboard, which debuted in the 1960 Olympic Games. Ray became the first non-athlete/non-coach to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

13. The NAC's 10M platform is 51 steps high

There are 51 steps leading from the ground to the top of the 10M diving platform at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. It's a route most familiar to Irish international Tanya Watson, Ireland's female 10M platform National Record holder.