Diving at the Summer Olympics

Diving was first introduced in the official programme of the Summer Olympic Games at the 1904 Games of St. Louis and has been an Olympic sport since. It was known as "fancy diving"[1] for the acrobatic stunts performed by divers during the dive (such as somersaults and twists). This discipline of Aquatics, along with swimming, synchronised swimming and water polo, is regulated and supervised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), the international federation (IF) for aquatic sports.

Diving at the Summer Olympics
Governing body	FINA
Events	8 (men: 4; women: 4)
Games
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Medalists

History

The first Olympic diving events were contested by men and consisted of a platform diving event ("fancy high diving") and also a plunge for distance event, which heralded victorious the diver who could reach the farthest underwater, while remaining motionless after a ground-level standing dive. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, men's springboard diving was added to the program replacing the plunge for distance, regarded as uninteresting.[2] Women's diving debut happened at the 1912 Summer Olympics in the platform event and was expanded to springboard diving at the 1920 Summer Olympics. A parallel platform diving event for men, called "plain high diving", was presented at the Games of the V Olympiad. No acrobatic moves were allowed, only a simple straight dive off the platform.[3] It was last contested at the 1924 Summer Olympics after which it was merged with "fancy high diving" into one competition renamed "highboard diving" (or just "high diving").[4]

By the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics, the diving events were exactly the same as in 1928. However, four years later in Sydney, the inclusion of a synchronized diving variant for the springboard and platform events elevated the list up to eight events.

Another important change to the sport occurred in the 1984 Summer Olympics, when China was first allowed to compete, ending the ban imposed upon them by FINA because of their nation's government. China has become one of the strongest diving nations since then.

Medal table

See also: List of Olympic medalists in diving

Total medal count 1904-2016:

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (USA)	49	44	45	138
2	China (CHN)	40	19	10	69
3	Sweden (SWE)	6	8	7	21
4	Russia (RUS)	4	8	6	18
5	Soviet Union (URS)	4	4	6	14
6	Italy (ITA)	3	5	3	11
7	Australia (AUS)	3	3	7	13
8	United Team of Germany (EUA)	3	1	0	4
9	Germany (GER)	2	8	11	21
10	East Germany (GDR)	2	2	3	7
11	Mexico (MEX)	1	7	6	14
12	Canada (CAN)	1	4	8	13
13	Great Britain (GBR)	1	3	6	10
14	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	1	1	0	2
15	Denmark (DEN)	1	0	1	2
16	Greece (GRE)	1	0	0	1
17	Unified Team (EUN)	0	2	1	3
18	Egypt (EGY)	0	1	1	2
	Malaysia (MAS)	0	1	1	2
20	France (FRA)	0	1	0	1
21	Ukraine (UKR)	0	0	2	2
Totals (21 nations)		122	122	124	368

Events

Men's

Event	96	00	04	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20	Games
Plunge for distance			X	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1
Plain high diving			–	–	X	X	X	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3
3 metre springboard			–	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	26
10 metre platform			X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	27
Synchronized 3 metre springboard			–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	6
Synchronized 10 metre platform			–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	6
Events			2	2	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	4

Women's

Event	96	00	04	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20	Games
3 metre springboard			–	–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	24
10 metre platform			–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	25
Synchronized 3 metre springboard			–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	6
Synchronized 10 metre platform			–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	X	X	X	X	X	X	6
Events			–	–	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	4

Nations

The numbers in each cell indicate the number of divers that nation sent to that Games.

Nation	96	00	04	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20	Years
Argentina (ARG)														1						1	1	2		1						5
Armenia (ARM)																							2	1						2
Australasia (ANZ)				1																										1
Australia (AUS)						1	1	1		1	1	2	10	4	2	2	3	4	3	4	5	7	7	6	7	9	10	9		22
Austria (AUT)					1		3	2	2	3	4	4	1	2	4	1	4	2	3	1	2	2	2	3	2	3		1		22
Azerbaijan (AZE)																							1	1						2
Bahamas (BAH)																					1									1
Barbados (BAR)																					1									1
Belarus (BLR)																							5	2	3	4	2	2		6
Belgium (BEL)				1		3	2													1	1	1								6
Bermuda (BER)											1	2													1					3
Bolivia (BOL)																							1							1
Brazil (BRA)						1					3	2	2	1				1	1	1	1	1		2	4	4	3	9		15
Bulgaria (BUL)																			2			1	1							3
Canada (CAN)				1	2	1		1	3	3	2		2	2	3	4	8	9		7	6	8	6	7	6	10	9	6		22
Chile (CHI)											1		2																	2
China (CHN)																				8	8	8	7	8	10	10	12	13		9
Chinese Taipei (TPE)																							2	4						2
Colombia (COL)														1	1	3	2							2	1	3	2	4		9
Costa Rica (CRC)																							1							1
Croatia (CRO)																												1		1
Cuba (CUB)											1					2			2					6	6	5	3			7
Czech Republic (CZE)																								1						1
Czechoslovakia (TCH)							2	2		3				1		1	1	1	2											8
Denmark (DEN)						5	4	1	1	2	3	2	2	2	2				1											11
Dominican Republic (DOM)																1			2	3										3
East Germany (GDR)																5	7	7	9		4									6
Ecuador (ECU)																		1			1									2
Egypt (EGY)								2		4	4	4		3	1					4								4		8
Finland (FIN)				2	6	3	6	2		1	1	3	1	1	1	2	2			1	1			2	2	1				18
France (FRA)						1	12	4	1	2	5	4	2	4			3	2	1	1	2	2	1	6	1	2	5	3		21
Georgia (GEO)																							2	1						2
Germany (GER)			3	5	4			9	2	11		4										6	7	8	10	14	8	8		14
Great Britain (GBR)				16	3	5	11	7		6	11	9	5	7	6	5	8	4	6	6	5	4	5	8	7	10	12	11		24
Greece (GRE)																						1	1	5	8	1	1			6
Guatemala (GUA)																1														1
Hong Kong (HKG)																				2	2		1	1						4
Hungary (HUN)										2	1		2	2	2				2		3	3	2	4	3	2	2	1		16
India (IND)															2															1
Indonesia (INA)																	1							3						2
Iran (IRI)															1															1
Ireland (IRL)											1																	1		2
Israel (ISR)												1	1																	2
Italy (ITA)				1	1	1	1	3		3		1		5	3	4	2	4	1	2	4	3	2	5	6	8	8	8		22
Jamaica (JAM)																	1											1		2
Japan (JPN)						1		1	4	5		2	4	5	9	4	3	3		3	4	3	3	1	2	2	1	3		19
Kazakhstan (KAZ)																							5	5						2
Kuwait (KUW)																		2	1	2	1		2							5
Malaysia (MAS)																								3	3	4	9	6		5
Mexico (MEX)								1	5	1	4	5	3	4	3	6	4	5	6	6	3	8	5	7	5	7	10	9		21
Netherlands (NED)							4	7		1	2	2		2		2	2			1	2	2						1		12
New Zealand (NZL)																		1		3		1						1		4
North Korea (PRK)																						4	3	5	3	3	3	2		7
Norway (NOR)					3	4				3	2					1	1			2	1	1					1			10
Peru (PER)										1														1						2
Philippines (PHI)																								2		2				2
Poland (POL)														1		5	3		2		1	1								6
Portugal (POR)																				1										1
Puerto Rico (PUR)															1	2	1						2	1	1			1		7
Rhodesia (RHO)														1	3															2
Romania (ROU)																	3		3			4	3	3	1	2				7
Russia (RUS)																							7	7	9	10	7	8		6
Russian Empire (RU1)					1																									1
South Africa (RSA)											1	1										1			1	1		1		6
South Korea (KOR)														1	3	2				1	2		4	4		1	2	1		10
Soviet Union (URS)												11	11	7	12	10	9	11	12		8									9
Spain (ESP)							3										2	3	3	2	2	3	5	5	4	2	2			12
Sri Lanka (SRI)												1											1							2
Sweden (SWE)				10	34	12	11	8	1	3	3	4	1	4	2	1	2	3	2	2	2	1	3	1	1	2	2			24
Switzerland (SUI)						1	1	1		3	2	2		1			1				1	2	1	3	1					13
Syria (SYR)											1									1										2
Tajikistan (TJK)																							2							1
Thailand (THA)																		1					2	2						3
Turkey (TUR)																		1												1
Ukraine (UKR)																							6	9	8	9	9	7		6
Unified Team (EUN)																						7								1
United States (USA)			7	2	2	14	10	9	9	10	7	11	9	5	12	11	8	11		7	7	7	8	7	10	12	11	10		25
United Team of Germany (EUA)														7	9															2
Uruguay (URU)																							1							1
Venezuela (VEN)												1						1		1		1	1	3	1	1	3	2		10
West Germany (FRG)																8	9	4		4	6									6
Yugoslavia (YUG)										1													2							2
Zimbabwe (ZIM)																			3	2	1	2	1	1						6
Nations			2	9	10	14	14	18	9	21	21	21	16	24	21	23	25	22	21	29	31	30	40	42	30	29	25	28		80
Divers			10	39	57	53	71	61	28	69	62	72	59	74	82	83	90	82	67	80	81	95	121	157	125	136	136	135
Year	96	00	04	08	12	20	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20

See also

• List of Olympic venues in diving

Notes

1. "Aquatics - Diving". Sports. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
2. Bill Bryson. "A City Under Starter's Orders". Olympics 2000 Sydney. The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
3. "Aquatics - Diving". Summer Sports. Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
4. "Diving". The Sports Yellow Pages!!. ThinkQuest. Archived from the original on 2005-11-04. Retrieved 2007-01-22.

References

• "Olympic medal winners". Athletes. International Olympic Committee.
• "RIO 2016 - DIVING - PARTICIPATING ATHLETES". Fina.
• "Official Olympic Reports". Amateur Athletic Foundation. Archived from the original on 2006-06-22.