A host of world-leading athletes hailed their experiences during three days of the French Diving Open which doubled up as an official test event for the new Olympic Aquatics Centre in Paris.
Over 50 athletes from 15 nations contested the women’s and men’s 3m as well as 10m disciplines in a full dress-rehearsal of what will be on show for spectators during the Games.
Among those praising the venue was Tokyo 2020 champion Tom Daley, who won synchronised 10m gold alongside Noah Williams on the final night of the French Diving Open.
British diver Daley will compete at his fifth Olympic Games this summer.
“It’s always very special when you get to dive in what’s going to be the Olympic pool for the first time,” Daley told World Aquatics. “The pool is really nice, it’s easy to dive in and the surfaces as good so it’s a great pool.”
Another legendary figure in the sport, who was keen to sample the venue ahead of his fourth Games, was China’s three-time Olympic champion Cao Yuan.
The 29-year-old will be seeking a fourth successive gold come the Paris 2024 Games.
“I think the venue is very big and lots of space and it’s been great for me to get use to this competition environment,” he told World Aquatics.
“It’s going to be great to come back after Tokyo to compete in Paris and for me it’s important to do my best to perform in my best condition so I can try to get a good result at the Paris Games.”
Australian Maddison Keeney claimed synchronised 3m bronze alongside Annabelle Smith at Rio 2016 before missing Tokyo 2020 through a combination of Covid-19 restrictions and ultimately a pre-Games injury.
The pair will be back together for Paris 2024 and secured gold at the Olympic test event, with Keeney also securing the individual 3m title.
“I quite like that it’s a smaller venue rather than a massive stadium as I think it will be really intimate and I think it’ll be an amazing atmosphere when it’s full,” Keeney told World Aquatics.
“The architecture is beautiful and it’s really bright and fun so I really like that.”
Smith, who competed individually at Tokyo 2020 in front of empty stands due to Covid-19 restrictions, added that she was looking forward to taking the Games “back to its routes.”
“The Olympics is all about sharing it with the community, the public and people travelling from all over the world and everyone is excited to fill the stands again,” she told World Aquatics.
2023 World championship bronze medallist Alexis Jandard of France hopes the creation of the new Olympic Aquatics Centre will provide a boost for the nation’s divers now and in the future.
“We are lucky to take part in this generation to have an Olympics at home and we hope that after the Games there will be a big legacy for us,” Jandard told World Aquatics.
“We need divers and we need pools and this is a good way to build a new nation of diving.
“I’m calling on the French Federation to do what they can and we’ll do what we can with the results to make people follow diving.”
Diving at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will commence on 27 July and conclude on 10 July with the traditional eight gold medals on offer during the competition.