Diving is a big sport in the Olympic Games but just how deep is the pool in the tournament?
The 2020 Olympic Games might have been delayed by a year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but the action has been unrelenting in Japan.
The excitement at seeing some events cannot be described and one of the most interesting sports is diving.
Athletes are seen jumping off springboards and platforms, performing intricate and crazy spins and turns before splashing into the water.
Two seconds is all the time they have to make or break their Olympic career, and this sport is a joy to watch and a marvel to understand just how difficult it all is.
Judging the sport is also difficult but one interesting aspect to know is regarding the dimensions of an Olympic diving pool.
These pools are different to the ones used in swimming and have to adhere to FINA standards. Further, there are two kinds of events which take place in the Olympics: Springboard and Platform diving.
Springboard diving, as the name suggests, takes place on springboard which are placed 3m above the pool.
The Platform dive is a sturdy ledge that doesn’t allow the divers to take a spring or leap before jumping into the pool, and is placed at a crazy 10m above the pool.
You will often see stars practice their routines on the sidelines before jumping into the pool, but another important aspect of the pool is how deep it is.
Divers plummet at crazy speeds, especially from the platform, and need to be safe when entering the pool.
Entering the pool in a non-vertical manner can lead to major injuries, and points are deducted if a huge splash occurs while entering the pool.
How deep is an Olympic diving pool?
To ensure the safety of all divers, FINA has made some recommendations regarding the depth of such pools.
For 10m platform events, the depth of the pool is a staggering 5m. Further, for 3m springboard or 5m platform events, the depth of the pool is 4m.
Of course, the depth of the pools can increase depending on the pools but these are the minimum standard required by FINA.
As for competition in the Olympics, they are split into eight categories. The men have individual 3m springboard and 10m platform events as well as synchronized events for both disciplines.
This synchronized effort sees two divers from the same country try to execute the same dives simultaneously, which is an incredible sight.
The women also have the same number of events and normally each of the eight events are scheduled on different days of the Olympics.
