Diving at the Summer Olympics

Diving at the Summer Olympics
Diving at the Summer Olympics
IOC Code	DIV
Governing body	World Aquatics
Events	8 (men: 4; women: 4)
Summer Olympics
	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; 2024; 2028;
	Medalists;

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.

Summary

Games	Year	Events	Best Nation
1
2
3	1904	2	United States (1)
4	1908	2	Germany (1) Sweden (1)
5	1912	4	Sweden (2)
6
7	1920	5	United States (2)
8	1924	5	United States (3)
9	1928	4	United States (4)
10	1932	4	United States (5)
11	1936	4	United States (6)
12
13
14	1948	4	United States (7)
15	1952	4	United States (8)
16	1956	4	United States (9)
17	1960	4	United States (10)
18	1964	4	United States (11)
19	1968	4	United States (12)
20	1972	4	Italy (1) United States (13)
21	1976	4	United States (14)
22	1980	4	Soviet Union (1)
23	1984	4	United States (15)
24	1988	4	China (1)
25	1992	4	China (2)
26	1996	4	China (3)
27	2000	8	China (4)
28	2004	8	China (5)
29	2008	8	China (6)
30	2012	8	China (7)
31	2016	8	China (8)
32	2020	8	China (9)
33	2024	8	China (10)

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 (2 men's and 2 women's events). 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 (4 men's and 4 women's events).

Another important change to the sport occurred at the 1984 Summer Olympics, when China first competed, after boycotting the previous games due to the political status of Taiwan.^[5] China has become the dominant diving power and accumulated 55 gold medals since 1984.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Chinese divers swept all of the available events, winning a record eight gold medals. The Chinese team also surpassed United States at the all-time medal tally after this edition of the games.

Medal table

Total medal count 1904–2024:^[6]


Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	55	26	11	92
2	United States	49	47	46	142
3	Sweden	6	8	7	21
4	Russia	4	8	6	18
5	Soviet Union	4	4	6	14
6	Italy	3	5	3	11
7	Australia	3	4	8	15
8	United Team of Germany	3	1	0	4
9	Germany	2	8	12	22
10	Great Britain	2	4	12	18
11	East Germany	2	2	3	7
12	Mexico	1	8	8	17
13	Canada	1	5	9	15
14	Czechoslovakia	1	1	0	2
15	Denmark	1	0	1	2
16	Greece	1	0	0	1
17	Unified Team	0	2	1	3
18	Egypt	0	1	1	2
	Malaysia	0	1	1	2
	North Korea	0	1	1	2
21	France	0	1	0	1
21	Japan	0	1	0	1
23	Ukraine	0	0	2	2
24	ROC (ROC)	0	0	1	1
Totals (24 entries)		138	138	139	415

Events

Men's

Event	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	24	Games
Plunge for distance	X	Not occurred since																											1
Plain high diving	–	–	X	X	X	Not occurred since																							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	X	27
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	X	28
Synchronized 3 metre springboard	Not yet introduced																					X	X	X	X	X	X	X	7
Synchronized 10 metre platform	Not yet introduced																					X	X	X	X	X	X	X	7
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	4

Women's

Event	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	24	Games
3 metre springboard	Not yet introduced			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
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	26
Synchronized 3 metre springboard	Not yet introduced																					X	X	X	X	X	X	X	7
Synchronized 10 metre platform	Not yet introduced																					X	X	X	X	X	X	X	7
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	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	24	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	7		23
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	4		16
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	10		23
Chile (CHI)											1		2																		2
China (CHN)																				8	8	8	7	8	10	10	12	13	16		10
Chinese Taipei (TPE)																							2	4							2
Colombia (COL)														1	1	3	2							2	1	3	2	4	3		10
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	1	2	2				1												11
Dominican Republic (DOM)																1			2	3									1		4
East Germany (GDR)																5	7	7	9		4										6
Ecuador (ECU)																		1			1										2
Egypt (EGY)								2		4	4	4		3	1					4								4	3		9
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	3		22
Georgia (GEO)																							2	1							2
Germany (GER)			3	5	4			9	2	11		4										6	7	8	10	14	8	8	9		15
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	12		25
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		3
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	6		23
Jamaica (JAM)																	1											1	1		3
Japan (JPN)						1		1	4	5		2	4	5	9	4	3	3		3	4	3	3	1	2	2	1	3	11		20
Kazakhstan (KAZ)																							5	5							2
Kuwait (KUW)																		2	1	2	1		2								5
Malaysia (MAS)																								3	3	4	9	6	5		6
Mexico (MEX)								1	5	1	4	5	3	4	3	6	4	5	6	6	3	8	5	7	5	7	10	9	14		22
Netherlands (NED)							4	7		1	2	2		2		2	2			1	2	2						1	2		13
New Zealand (NZL)																		1		3		1						1	1		5
North Korea (PRK)																						4	3	5	3	3	3	2			7
Norway (NOR)					3	4				3	2					1	1			2	1	1					1		1		11
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	1		8
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
Singapore (SGP)																													2		1
South Africa (RSA)											1	1										1			1	1		1	2		7
South Korea (KOR)														1	3	2				1	2		4	4		1	2	1	5		11
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		2		13
Sri Lanka (SRI)												1											1								2
Sweden (SWE)				10	34	12	11	8	1	3	3	4	2	4	2	1	2	3	2	2	2	1	3	1	1	2	2		1		25
Switzerland (SUI)						1	1	1		3	2	2		1			1				1	2	1	3	1				1		14
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		7
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	11		26
United Team of Germany (EUA)														7	9																2
Uruguay (URU)																							1								1
Venezuela (VEN)												1						1		1		1	1	3	1	1	3	2	1		11
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	30		82
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	144
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	24

Notes

^ "Aquatics – Diving". Sports. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
^ 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.
^ "Aquatics – Diving". Summer Sports. Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
^ "Diving". The Sports Yellow Pages!!. ThinkQuest. Archived from the original on 2005-11-04. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
^ Wren, Christopher S. (9 January 1984). "'84 Olympic Effort a Great Leap Forward for China". The New York Times.
^ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

References

"Olympic medal winners". Athletes. International Olympic Committee.
"RIO 2016 – DIVING – PARTICIPATING ATHLETES". Fina. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-07-08.
"Official Olympic Reports". Amateur Athletic Foundation. Archived from the original on 2006-06-22.

[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. Archived from the original on 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2007-01-22.

[4] "Diving". The Sports Yellow Pages!!. ThinkQuest. Archived from the original on 2005-11-04. Retrieved 2007-01-22.

[5] Wren, Christopher S. (9 January 1984). "'84 Olympic Effort a Great Leap Forward for China". The New York Times.

[6] "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

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