Diving is one of the most popular sports in the Olympic games, and has been growing increasingly more popular among athletes as well. Diving is a sport in which the athlete jumps or falls from a specific apparatus, while performing acrobatic spins, flips and tricks before entering the pool. Divers are very similar to dancers and gymnasts in that they have to have incredible flexibility and strength.

In the sport of diving, there are different events that divers compete in. the events are categorized by the type of board they are done off of. At a diving meet, you will see three different boards. There is the 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform. Divers can compete in an event individually, or with a partner for 3-meter and 10-meter. Diving with a partner is known as synchronized diving.

There is a lot of room for variety in the way you approach a dive. These are known as the different dive groups. Each dive group explains the starting position from the apparatus, and the entry position into the water. There are five classifications of dives for both springboard and platform, and an additional sixth dive group for platform.

    • Forward group: the diver takes off from a forward position and rotates forward.
    • Back group: the diver takes off from the board with their back to the water and rotates backwards.
    • Reverse group: the diver takes off in a forward position and rotates backwards.
    • Inward group: the diver takes off with their back facing the water and rotates forward.
    • Twist group: this includes any dive in which the diver incorporates an axial twisting motion.
    • Armstand group: this is only done from the platform, and includes any dive in which the diver begins from a handstand position.

Once the diver is in flight, they assume a dive position. There are four main dive positions: straight, pike, tuck and free. They then perform their acrobatic skills, such as flips, in one of these positions.

Diving is a sport that is not only fun to watch, but fun to compete in as well. Successful divers have the chance to receive athletic scholarships to schools all around the country, and the most elite divers can even make their country’s Olympic team.

For more information on diving, be sure to check out CoachUp’s diving resource articles!

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