Harrogate Diving Club celebrates its role in GB gold medal at Olympics in Tokyo

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GB's team of 12 divers contains a number of former divers from Harrogate District Diving Club or divers who were trained by Harrogate District Diving Club members.

Among the Olympic divers ex-St Aidan's High School's Ady Hinchliffe, who dived for Harrogate District Diving Club back in 1984, has coached include Leeds-based Matty Lee who earlier today won gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform in partnership with Tom Daley.

In winning in Tokyo in the teeth of tough competition from rivals Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen, the duo ended China's grip on the Olympic event which has spanned the last 21 years.

Harrogate District Diving Club was formed independently in 1999 and is run by the Local Authority Harrogate Borough Council and has a history of successful coaching programmes and has produced two Olympic divers.

During the pandemic the club has lost 82% of it’s pool time and the 3m springboards that Jack and Oliver are famous for diving off have been surrounded by scaffolding for more than eight months with no start date for repairs.

Whilst the diving tower is out of action the divers train using a mobile 1m springboard and poolside.

The club is also one of only two diving clubs in the UK that has a DiveAbility scheme where divers with disabilities and additional needs can learn to dive in safe and accepting place.

Leanne Jalland, chair of Harrogate District Diving Club, said: "The whole club is incredibly proud of all the Team GB divers competing in Tokyo but to be able to watch not one but two Olympians who learnt to dive with our club makes us incredibly proud.

"These are inspirational moments for the next generation of young divers starting their journey and learning to dive, knowing that if these divers can go on to compete at the Olympics and win medals for their country they can too.

"I think you could see from the reaction of the other Team GB divers who were straight on poolside to congratulate Tom and Matty that it will be a jubilant atmosphere in Team GB diving camp today.

"The wider UK diving community are so proud of Matty and Tom who both put in a fantastic performance and thoroughly deserved those gold medals.

"The pair dived precisely and consistently held their nerve which paid off in a very close event.

But Harrogate Diving Club's role in the current Olympics does not end at Team GB.

There are also a number of national coaches for other countries with links to the club doing their best to bring back diving medals from Tokyo for their teams.

Divers

Jack Laugher (Team GB)

Oliver Dingley (Team Ireland)

National Diving Coaches

Damian Ball (Team Ireland)

Ady Hinchcliffe (Team Australia)

Andy Banks (Team Australia)

Jack Laugher: Factfile

Born in Harrogate, 3m Diver Jack Laugher is the current Olympic Gold in the synchronized mens 3m Springboard event and silver medalist in the mens 3m Springboard event.

Ex-Ripon Grammar School student, Jack and his 2016 synchro partner Chris Mears made history in 2016 at Rio when they were the first ever British divers to win a gold medal in diving at the Olympics.

Jack trained under coach Damian Ball at Harrogate District Diving Club alongside fellow Harrogate Olympian Oliver Dingley during 2010 and under Ady Hinchcliffe at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Oliver Dingley: Factfile

Born in Harrogate but a qualifier for the Ireland team via his Cork grandmother, Oliver Dingley made history in 2016 when he became the first Irish diver to compete at the Olympic games during 2016 in Rio.

Oliver made the finals in the men's 3m springboard event and finished in 8th place.

Oliver went to Harrogate High School and St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate.

Oliver dived at Harrogate District diving club from 1999 to the end of 2010 and lived in Harrogate from 1992 to 2012.

Damian Ball: Factfile

Damian Ball dived at Harrogate Diving club from the age of 10 and progressed quickly at the old Coppice pool and competed at a National level.

He began coaching aged 16 and started out as a volunteer for the club.

When the Hydro opened in 1999 he was appointed by the Local Authority as a full time Diving Development Officer and Head Coach.

He formed Harrogate District Diving Club in 1999 as an independent club prior to that diving was a part of the swimming club.

Damian developed a large and successful scheme for the Local Authority and spent 12 years as a full time coach in Harrogate coaching many athletes to national and International level, including Oliver Dingley and Jack Laugher.

Damian coaches Olympian Oliver Dingley and is National Diving Coach for Swim Ireland

Ady Hinchcliffe: Factfile

Ady dived for Harrogate District Diving Club in 1984 with his brother.

He was coached by Andy Banks

Ady went to St Aiden’s school in Harrogate

Ady was the aquatics development manager at Leeds and head coach of the City of Leeds Diving Club.

He coached Olympic Gold medallists Jack Laugher and Chris Mears during the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Other past and present Olympians Ady has coached include:

Rebecca Gallantree

Sarah Barrow

Lois Tolson

Katherine Torrence

Alicia Blagg

Tandi Gerrard

Yona Knight Wisdom

Ady was a National Diving Coach for Team GB for many years but left to become a National Diving Coach for Australia in 2017.

Andy Banks: Factfile

Andy dived at Harrogate diving at the old Coppice pool and also coached Ady Hinchcliffe and Damian Ball.

He also coached Tom Daley whilst at Plymouth diving club and coached Tom Daley during the 2012 London Olympics where Daley won the bronze medal in the Men's Platform event.

Andy was a National Team GB diving coach but after over 30 years of coaching for Britain Andy left to join Ady Hinchcliffe to become a National Diving Coach for Australia.

Team GB diving team at Tokyo Olympics

Eden Cheng: Women’s 10m synchro

Thomas Daley: Men’s 10m platform, men’s 10m synchro

Daniel Goodfellow: Men’s 3m synchro

James Heatly: Men’s 3m individual

Jack Laugher: Men’s 3m springboard, men’s 3m synchro

Matty Lee: Men’s 10m synchro

Scarlett Mew Jensen: Women’s 3m springboard

Grace Reid: Women’s 3m springboard, women’s 3m synchro

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix: Women’s 10m platform

Katherine Torrance: Women’s 3m synchro

Lois Toulson: Women’s 10m platform, women’s 10m synchro

Noah Williams: Men’s 10m platform

The Tokyo Olympics diving events; Schedule

25 July Women’s synchronised 3m springboard

26 July Men’s synchronised 10m platform

27 July Women’s synchronized 10 platform

28 July Men’s synchronized 3m springboard

30 July Women’s 3m springboard (heats)

31 July Women’s 3m springboard (semi finals)

1 August Women’s 3m springboard (finals)

2 August Men’s 3m springboard (heats)

3 August Men’s 3m springboard (semi finals)

3 August Men’s 3m springboard (finals)

4 August Women’s 10m platform (heats)

5 August Women’s 10m platform (semi finals)

5 August Women’s 10m platform (finals)

6 August Men’s 10m platform (heats)

7 August Men’s 10m platform (semi finals)

7 August Men’s 10m platform (finals)

Events comprise of men’s and women’s versions of 3m springboard, 3m synchronised 3m springboard, 10m platform and synchronised 10m platform.

The diving competitions feature up to 136 athletes.

All divers had to be at least 14-years-old on or by 31 December 2020.

The Olympic games in Tokyo run until Sunday, August 8.

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