Although diving has been a popular pastime across the world since ancient times, the first modern diving competitions were held in England in the 1880s. The exact origins of the sport are unclear, though it is likely that it derives from the act of diving at the start of swimming races. The 1904 book Swimming by Ralph Thomas records English reports of plunging records dating back to at least 1865.
The 1877 edition of the British Rural Sports by John Henry Walsh makes note of a man named Young plunging 56 feet (17 m) in 1870, and also states that 25 years prior, a swimmer named Drake could cover 53 feet (16 m).
The English Amateur Swimming Association (at the time called the Swimming Association of Great Britain) first started a ‘Plunging Championship’ in 1883. The ‘Plunging Championship’ was discontinued in 1937.
Fancy diving
Diving into a body of water had also been a method used by gymnasts in Germany and Sweden since the early 19th century. The soft landing allowed for more elaborate gymnastic feats in midair as the jump could be made from a greater height.
This tradition evolved into ‘fancy diving’, while diving as a preliminary to swimming became known as ‘plain diving’.
In England, the practice of high diving – diving from a great height – gained popularity; the first diving stages were erected at the Highgate Ponds at a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) in 1893 and the first world championship event, the ‘National Graceful Diving Competition’, was held there by the Royal Life Saving Society in 1895. The event consisted of standing and running dives from either 15 or 30 feet (4.6 or 9.1m)
It was at this event that the Swedish tradition of fancy diving was introduced to the sport by the athletes Otto Hagborg and C F Mauritzi. They demonstrated their acrobatic techniques from the 10m diving board at the Highgate Pond and was catalytic in the establishment of the Amateur Diving Association 1901, the first organisation devoted to diving in the world (later amalgamated with the Amateur Swimming Association). Fancy diving was formally introduced into the championship in 1903.
Olympic era
Plain diving was first introduced to the Olympics at the 1904 event. The 1908 Olympics in London added ‘fancy diving’ and introduced elastic boards rather than fixed platforms.
Women were first allowed to participate in the diving events for the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.
In the 1928 Olympics, ‘plain’ and ‘fancy’ diving were amalgamated into one event – ‘Highboard Diving’. The diving event was first held indoors in the Empire Pool for the 1934 British Empire Games and the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
Siyara Devapriya
Grade 7C
Bishop’s College
Colombo 03
