In diving, 2024 was a rare year in which every major title was contested. Elites and masters won world titles in February. Olympians seized gold in July. Juniors claimed their own world titles in November. In between, there were two World Cups and a Super Final.
In diving, 2024 will long be remembered for both its excellence and intensity. Every diver from age 14 to 89 had a chance to compete for a major title.
The milestones were statistical, historical, and personal. Let’s revisit some of the superlative stats.
Paris 2024 Olympics
55 – New gold standard: Before the 2024 Paris Games, the US led all countries with 48 Olympic diving gold medals, but China immediately tied that when Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen won the women’s 3m synchro event on the first day of diving in Paris. When the Olympics were over, China had re-set the bar for most Olympic diving golds at 55.
17 –The super-teen: In the final diving event in Paris, two-time Olympian Rikuto Tamai gave Japan its first Olympic diving medal in history at age 17, a silver in men’s 10m platform.
10 – The 10-peat: On the penultimate day of diving, Chen Yiwen locked up China’s 10th Olympic victory in a row on the women’s 3m springboard, which meant that no other nation had won gold in the event since the 1980 Moscow Games. China’s 10-peat was not, however, the longest winning streak in an individual diving event at the Games. The US won 11 consecutive gold medals in men’s 3m, from 1920 to 1968 – a milestone that China will surely try to tie in Los Angeles in 2028.
8 – The sweep: China won all eight diving gold medals in Paris – an unprecedented feat. While it was a collective effort, it should also be noted that two of its athletes earned double gold: Quan Hongchan won individual gold and synchro gold in women’s 10m and Chen Yiwen won individual gold and synchro gold in women’s 3m.
5 – Five in five: At age 30, Tom Daley not only became the first diver to carry the British flag in the Opening Ceremony, but he also earned his fifth medal with his fifth synchro partner in five Games. He and Noah Williams finished 26.91 points behind China to take silver in men’s 10m synchro.
2.1 – The difference: Just 2.1 points could have snapped China’s aim of winning all eight Olympic gold medals in Paris. In the fourth diving event, men’s 3m synchro, Mexico’s Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez and Osmar Olvera Ibarra led after four of the six rounds. With one dive to go, they narrowly trailed China’s Long Daoyi and Wang Zongyuan by less than 1.08 points. The Mexican duo was the last pair to dive, and it had saved its hardest dive for last: a forward 2½ with three twists with a 3.9 degree of difficulty – harder than any of China’s dives. When the final scores came up, China had eked out victory by 2.07 points.
2 – Up from Zero: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea earned its first Olympic diving medal in history when Jo Jin-Mi and Kim Mi-Rae captured silver in women’s 10m synchro. Six days later, Kim earned North Korea’s first individual diving medal at the Games, a bronze in the women’s 10m final.
World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar
35 – Old school: Australia’s Li Shixin was still racking up medals at age 35 in Doha. When he claimed silver in men’s 1m and bronze in the team event, he was less than 10 days from celebrating his 36th birthday.
13 – New school: Of all the world champions crowned in Doha, Huang Jiangie was the youngest, at 13. He helped China win gold in mixed 10m synchro.
9 – Still dominant: In Doha, China entered 10 events and won nine of them. Its only loss came in the men’s 1m springboard.
8 – Daley’s double: After coming out of retirement in July 2023, Great Britain’s Tom Daley captured two world championship medals (gold in mixed team and silver in men’s 10m synchro) to give him a career total of eight world championship medals dating back to 2009.
1 – First gold: In Doha, 20-year-old Osmar Olver Ibarra became the first and only Mexican man to win a world championship diving title by taking gold in men’s 1m (Mexico’s only other diving world champion is Paola Espinosa who won women’s 10m gold in 2009 Rome.)
1 – First medal: In Doha, Maha Amer Eissa gave Egypt its first world championship diving medal (a bronze in women’s 1m springboard)
Junior World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9 – Big medal haul: When all 17 events were over, Ukraine earned the most junior world championship medals with nine total (2 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze). Kseniia Bochek,15, contributed three of them (gold in girls’ 3m synchro, team bronze, and bronze in girls’ 1m). Mark Hrytsenko, 15, won the other gold, in platform. And 15-year-old Valerii Malieiev came up big in springboard – taking 1m bronze and 3m silver.
4 – Most gold: Both Mexico and China won more gold than any other nation, with four apiece. Mexico’s 15-year-old Rut Paez was responsible for three of those golds (in girls’ 1m, 3m, and 10m synchro) while 18-year-old Long Yiping won half of China’s gold medals (in girls’ 1m and 3m).
2 – Biennial wait: The 26th edition of the junior world championships will be in 2026.