Diving guide - London 2012 Olympic Games
Your guide to diving ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
Photograph: Diving via Shutterstock
Converted: Jaw-dropping acrobatics made to look easy.
Confused: Annoying children showing off in a swimming pool.
RECOMMENDED: See our full list of London 2012 Olympic sport guides
Diving - The essential guide
Street cred: Diving is definitely down with the kids. The average age of gold medallists in Beijing was 18 and most divers are spent by their mid-twenties; it's kind of the sporting equivalent of One Direction.
Who’s good? China – it won seven out of eight events in 2008.
The basics: Divers compete individually, or in pairs for the synchronised events, at two heights: 3m and 10m.
Athlete to watch: Anyone Chinese, particularly Beijing 2008 double gold-medal winner Chen Roulin.
Not to be confused with: The thing your aunt did on holiday in Sharm el Sheikh.
As seen in: Luc Besson’s ‘The Big Blue’ (1988), which is about leaping into the sea rather than the pool.
Almost useless fact: The highest dive ever was 52.4m (172ft), set by Dana Kunze.
Do say: ‘Now that's what I call a double-back somersault pike, bravo!’
Don't say: ‘Where’s his snorkel?’
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