About High Diving

High diving was originally the term given to the Olympic diving events from the 5m and 10m Platform between 1912 and 1924.

These days, with the sport pushing its limits further and further, divers would scoff at the thought of 5m as being a ‘high’ dive.

Instead, the sport of high diving generally sees men competing from a 27m platform and women from a 20m platform.

High diving was included as a discipline in the FINA World Championships for the first time in 2013 at the iconic Port Vell harbour in Barcelona.

Where can I watch high diving?

High diving has grown in popularity as a spectator sport, largely due to the success of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, established in 2009.

The Cliff Diving World Series sees divers jump from a series of natural and artificial platforms around the world.

The creation of artificial platforms means high diving can take part in unusual and high profile venues such as the Copenhagen Opera House and the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston.

High diving isn’t an Olympic sport yet. But, as well as including the discipline at their World Championships, world aquatics governing body FINA have run an annual High Diving World Cup since 2014.

How dangerous is high diving?

High divers can reach speeds of nearly 60 mph and go from 28m to the water in about three seconds.

The extra height means there is a much greater risk of serious injury for high divers, so they enter the water feet first with rescuers immediately on hand in case a diver is injured through impact.