The best divers in the world will be competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Picture: AFP)
Ever wondered why divers shower when they come out of the pool? Or perhaps you’re confused by the tiny towels they use, or the tape they wear.
The Paris 2024 Olympics are firmly underway and for those not lucky enough to hold a ticket to an event in the city of love, it’s time to settle in front of the TV and watch Team GB go for gold.
In the diving, our best hopes are pinned on Tom Daley and Jack Laugher to win medals for Great Britain, but while we’ll be crossing our fingers that they come away with the crown, you may also notice that there are a couple of unusual traditions in the sport.
For instance, why do divers shower after every jump, and why do they use those small towels? You might also have noticed that many divers wear tape and, for some reason, water is sprayed over the diving pool.
How does the Olympic diving scoring system work and how many rounds are there?
There are eight Olympic diving events, divided equally between the three-metre springboard and 10-metre platform.
Athletes compete in individual and synchronized contests from both. Their dives are rated by a panel of judges, who assess the complexity (how hard it is) and how well it is executed.
Eleven judges score competitors on a range of factors, with the scores added together and then multiplied by the degree of difficulty for each individual dive.
That also includes how smoothly divers enter the water when they land. In synchronized events, divers have the added pressure of being judged on how well they mirror their partner.
All synchronized diving events consist of one round with eight teams. Each team will do six dives.
Why do Olympic divers shower after every jump?
Divers shower after each dive in order to keep their muscles warm and loose. This helps to avoid injuries while competing.
In fact, between dives the competitors often keep themselves warm and relaxed in a hot tub.
Tom Daley (right) will be hoping to secure a medal for Team GB (Picture: Corbis via Getty Images)
The air on the pool deck is often cool – and the divers will feel this more keenly when they are wet – so it’s important they keep warm. The shower helps with this.
If they don’t, the cold may cause them to tense up and, even if it’s only slight, this can affect their performance when they dive and potentially lead to injury.
Why is water sprayed on diving pools at the Olympics?
Water is sprayed on diving pools to help athletes see the surface and judge how far they are from the water.
The water disrupts the surface, which would otherwise remain still, so the divers can judge the angle they will be hitting the pool at – something which is crucial for their safety.
Underneath the water, a device known as a ‘bubbler’ is installed on the pool floor to provide a compressed air cushion of bubbles, which protects the divers from injury.
Why do Olympic divers wear tape?
Divers wear tape to relieve pain in their muscles and joints, and for added support.
The acrobatic sequences that divers perform put a lot of stress on the body, so, again, the tape helps prevent injury and avoid any muscle movement that might hinder performance.
It’s not just any old tape, however. Called Kinesio (also referred to as ‘K tape’), it was developed in Japan in the 70s by chiropractor Dr Kenso Kase, and is popular with athletes across many other sports – proving especially popular with swimmers too.
While it’s said to reduce swelling and allow fluid to move through the body more smoothly, some scientists have suggested it may have little more than a placebo effect.
Why do Olympic divers use little towels?
Simply put, divers use those little towels to keep dry. Known as Chamois towels, they are extremely water absorbent, allowing divers to dry off quickly.
Towelling off before a dive is important, because the athletes don’t want to risk slipping while gripping onto their legs during a tuck or pike. Not only would this hinder their performance, it can also be dangerous.
An added benefit of these towels is that they’re very easy to wring out.
You may sometimes see divers dropping little towels into the pool from the diving platform. This helps them judge the distance they are about to dive from.
How deep is the Olympic diving pool?
The pool at the Paris La Defense Arena is 2.15 meters deep.
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