Diving has been included in every Summer Olympics since the 1904 Games in St. Louis. Men and women each compete in individual and synchronized 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events. Diving is a scored event with seven judges scoring dives from zero to 10 in half-point increments. Divers are scored on four elements: approach, take-off, flight (or execution) and the cleanliness of their entry into the water. The top and bottom scores are thrown out, while the remaining ones are added and then multiplied by the difficulty of the dive.
The difficulty of the dive is calculated using a formula that considers number of somersaults and twists, flight position, type of approach and “unnatural entry.” Unnatural entry refers to dives in which the diver is in such a position that they cannot see the water until entry.
Synchronized diving sees two athletes perform the same dives side by side, with additional judges who are tasked with scoring only their level of synchronization.
