Diving is a sport in which an athlete jumps or falls into the water from a platform or pedal, usually during acrobatics. This sport is internationally recognized as part of the Olympic Games.

Divers have many of the same characteristics as gymnastics and dancers, including strength, flexibility, aesthetic judgment, and sense of space.

Some early professional divers were gymnastics or dancers because both of these sports had similar characteristics to diving. Dmitri Sautin is the athlete who holds the record for most Olympic diving medals won, by winning eight medals in total from 1992 to 2008.

Plunging is considered the first competitive diving sport. Diving has been a popular mode of entertainment around the world since ancient times. However, the first modern diving competitions were held in England in the 1880s. The exact origin of this sport is unknown. Apparently, though it’s likely that it originated from the diving action at the start of the swim race.

Diving is an official Olympic sport nowadays

The British Amateur Swimming Association (then known as the British Swimming Association) first started in 1883. The Plunging Championship was discontinued in 1937.

Diving into a body of water is also a method used by gymnastics in Germany and Sweden since the early 19th century. Soft landing allows more elaborate steps into the water because the jump can be done from a higher height. This tradition evolved into “fancy dives,” while diving as a preliminary step to swimming was called “plain diving”.

In the UK, the practice of high diving – diving from high altitudes – has become popular. The first dive stages appeared at Highgate Ponds at 15 feet (4.6 m) in 1893. The first world championship event, the National Graceful Diving Competition, was organized in 1895. The event included standing and running diving from 15 or 30 feet (4.6 or 9.1 m).

History of the diving sport

It was at this event that Sweden’s favorite diving tradition was introduced to the sport by Otto Hagborg and C F Mauritzi. They demonstrated their acrobatic techniques from the 10m diving board at Highgate Pond and this led to the establishment of the Amateur Diving Association in 1901, the first diving organization in the world (later merged with the Amateur Swimming Association).