Following Rio 2016 Olympic diving: what comprises the Olympic diving scores?

Few tips for a comfortable following of Rio2016 diving competition: how to interpret the Olympic diving scores?

Many attributes can be add to the diving competition on the summer Olympics: it is attractive, exciting, acrobatic, sexy, aesthetically pleasant, elegant. But while you are watching those amazing moves in the air and the diver approaching the water, you missed many small details that make up the final grade of his performance.

It is not just about what one does in the air nor about how much water will get out when one finishes the performance. In fact there are four important element that need to be taken into consideration for the Olympic diving score. In this GamingZion article we explain some of the basics of Olympic diving judging that can help you follow one of the most acrobatic sports on the Olympic program. Whether you are becoming interesting in diving now or you are just someone keen on internet betting in Brazil, this tips are something you will certainly find useful.

First: A proper approach to the dive

Way before the entrance in the water there are several elements that comprise the Olympic diving score of a diver. One of them is the proper approach to the dive. The approach can usually be seen from the way the steps (three or more) are taken on the board, the position of the body as well as the standing on the edge of the board. The steps must be determined, the body straight, and the approach to the edge smooth and made in a harmonious fashion. The Olympic divers have practiced this to perfection. But sometimes it happens to them that they fail.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gnA8bVaQA94

Second: taking off the board

The second element of evaluation is the taking off the board. For a high Olympic diving score here the diver must depart off the board after a hop on both feet and make a certain distance that allows a safe dive. This is a common mistake among Olympic divers due to which lots of points can be lost in the competition. Making a small distance from the board while taking off is not only a score diminishing feature, but also a danger for possible injuries. It happens even to the best, as it was the case with the diving legend and Olympic champion from 1984 and 1988, Greg Louganis.

Third: controlled execution

The performance while in the air is one of the most important components of the dive and the Olympic diving scores. It is mainly these elements of the dive that are judged according to their difficulty on a scale from 1.2-3.6. Bookmakers in online sportsbooks in US pay special attention to this element since it can play a huge role in evaluating some diver’s chances. Certainly the more acrobatic the dive the higher the difficulty. However there is always a danger that due to many movements in the air the entry in the water lacks stability. One of the key virtues of the execution is the exercised control of the movements by the diver. When there is no control, this is what usually happens.

Fourth: the entry

The last element to be judged is the entry. A perfect Olympic diving score can be acquired at this point only if the body is entering the water in a vertical position either on head or feet with pointed toes. How the scores look like when one enters horizontally, can be seen from these Philippine divers on the video below.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ToPRDDPN4xg

The point system

On the Olympic Games there are seven judges which give points on a scale of 1-10 evaluating these four elements of the dive. The synchronized diving has nine judges, five of which are concerned only with the synchronization. The highest and lowest grades of a dive are disregarded and the sum of the rest is multiplied with the estimated degree of difficulty of the dive. The result is the final score. So, a tip for all of you who like to bet on sports in Brazil: don’t place a wager on your favorite diver before evaluating first, the four elements on his or her performance!