Power ranking every single sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics
By Nick Villano
38. Synchronized Diving
Just like synchronized swimming, synchronized diving involves water and two or more people perform a routine in sync. Only there’s one big difference: this one starts off either three or 10 meters off the ground. We decided to separate the two diving mediums as they are so different.
There are two different types of boards, one considered a spring board and the other the more traditional high dive. They come in play for both synchronized dives, as the springboard is expected to also come in sync during the routine. Both divers have to be so in tune with each other that they have to touch the board at the exact same time with the exact same power and strength.
This relatively low ranking isn’t to disparage the athletes involved in synchronized diving. The feat is incredibly difficult and it cannot be done by the common man or woman, but it just doesn’t garner the value that the other sports do. Many Olympics fans will choose the other diving varieties over synchronized diving.
The synchronized competition is relatively new, making its debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. We’re not saying this sport needs to be replaced, but there does need to be more transparent judging in the process. People tend to understand what leads to a good or bad dive. We’re looking at the flips and the size of the splash. Here, there is a lot more to judge. Making it easy to follow would only help the sport.