Diving is one of the oldest Olympic events making its debut at St Louis in 1904.
There are two overall categories – platform and springboard – and two main heights used for competition at 3m and 10m above the pool. Competitors are effectively gymnasts performing a range of tumbles and acrobatics before hitting the water. The ideal is to enter the water in a vertical position with the minimum splash, with scoring based on degree of difficulty and success of the dive.
Betting on diving
Like most water sports, betting on diving is mainly focused on the big championships with this year’s worlds and next year’s Olympics sure to attract interest. The current grand prix season runs until November but you may need to contact your betting provider for individual odds on the grand prix and other events.
How to: Diving betting strategy, rules and tips
There are some people who really want to know how to bet on diving. Here are some simple betting strategies and tips to consider before betting on diving competitions. The rules are simple. Always remember that diving hinges on strength of mind as well as strength of body. The diver can be in the best physical state possible and still be a split second out that turns precision into a virtual belly flop. Check the grand prix to see who are the consistent performers rather than those performing the most difficult routines. The greater degree of difficulty increases the risks of error, so decide whether the rewards for the dive are worth the risks involved
Where to bet on diving: bookmakers in UK and sportsbooks in US with bonus offers
The single straight winning bet seems a logical starting point once you’ve decided on your selection. However, you are unlikely to find particularly attractive odds on diving unless you’ve personally discovered an unknown star of the future. With the intricacies involved in each dive – especially in the synchro events – it may be wise to gamble on a favourite ‘messing up’. A medal hopeful or a competitor known for consistency may offer more attractive odds that the favourite with the complex dive.
Check betting sites where it is possible to bet on diving such as Pinnacle, William Hill and Betfair to find out what odds they’re offering. In the USA you can legally bet on diving at BetAmerica and SugarHouse sportsbooks. Both of them have welcome bonus promotions for the first time depositors.
Diving Betting Odds at Pinnacle
Sports like diving don’t come under the traditional betting umbrella so you will have to wait until closer to the event when checking the diving betting markets on Pinnacle. If you can’t find the bet you want ask your betting provider – odds are usually available on request.
Diving upcoming events to bet on
The diving forms a key part of this year’s World Aquatic Championships in Korea with the schedule kicking off with the 1m springboard on July 12 and finishes with the 10m platform on July 20.
There will be lots of interest as it provides the perfect opportunity to run the rule over those who will be vying for medals at next year’s Olympic Games.
The Chinese are sure to be in the medals with the likes of Zhang Peng and Zhang Wenao pushing for individual honours as well as in the pairs, the duo winning the recent 10m synchro event at the inaugural diving grand prix in Rostock, Germany.
They seem sure to face serious competition in the 10m synchro from British pair Tom Daley and Matty Lee who recently teamed up to win their national championships.
In the women’s event China’s Shi Tingmao defends both her 3m springboard and the mixed 3m springboard, known as the synchro. It would be a major shock if she didn’t come away from Gwangju with at least one gold medal.
Bet on Diving at 2021 Tokyo Olympics
There will be eight diving events at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on which you can place your bets: four for men and four for women. The 3m springboard, 3m synchro springboard; 10m platform and 10m synchro platform. There will be a maximum of 16 participants from each country and a minimum age – all divers must be 14 by 30 December next year. Among those automatically qualifying are the top 12 individual finishers from this year’s world championships – top three in the synchros.
Topping the all-time medal table is the USA with 49 golds, with China gradually catching up with 40 golds. Among those expected to challenge the Chinese dominance is Britain’s Jack Laugher, named European diver of the year 2018. He is expected to compete in the 3m synchro.
Diving news
With the grand prix ongoing you can keep up to date with the latest diving news from around the world on sites such as swimswam. Most of the swimming sites have a dedicated diving section and swimmingworldmagazine offers detailed coverage of news from across the globe.
Where to watch diving: online TV streaming
The world championships will be covered in depth on finatv along with national broadcasting coverage on sites like the BBC which will also cover Olympic diving. In America NBC will cover the world championships and it will be one of several American channels covering the Olympics. In Australia if you want to watch diving on TV it is the Seven Network will cover Olympic diving events.
History of diving
The act of competitive diving can be traced back to the 1880s in England with records of a ‘plunging championship’ in 1883.
Cliff diving dates back even further to around 1770 on the second largest Hawaiian island Maui. The King of Maui, Kahekili II, was renowned for jumping feet first from cliffs with his followers forced to follow to show both their courage and loyalty.
Cliff diving as a spectacle is iconic with certain locations around the world. The cliffs at La Quebrada at the Mexican resort of Acapulco is one of the most famous where the public can view a daily show. In the 1960s and 1970s the USA high diving teams competed with the La Quebrada divers in the annual Christmas Festival.
As a sport ‘plunging’ in the 1904 Olympics evolved into what was called ‘fancy diving’ at London 1908, which involved elastic boards. Women’s participation came four years later in Stockholm 1912 and in 1928 ‘plain and ‘fancy’ diving was combined into ‘highboard diving’.
The sport moved indoors at the post-war 1948 London Olympics but the most iconic competition was held outdoors at Barcelona 1992. The backdrop of the city framed a competition that caught the imagination of the worldwide watching public.
Synchronised diving – two divers as a team – became an Olympic sport at Sydney 2000 and the diving is sure to be one of the most popular disciplines in Tokyo 2021.
Photo by Ishan@seefromthesky
