Diving, characterised by plunging into water from a platform, can be traced back to 400 B.C., as depicted on Egyptian and Roman vases.  Over the centuries diving from cliffs into pools was considered a death defying act and drew large crowds of spectators.  The beginning of the 19th century marked the beginning of "fancy diving" with the use of rings, trapeze and platforms to perform aerial gymnastics before entering the water.  At the end of the 19th century, "plunging" was an established sport with rules and structure.  The gymnastic apparatus was discarded and the stout pieces of timber which were the original "boards" were transformed with the use of various springs and gadgetry into springboards.  Plungers using these unpredictable boards dived into natural pools with water levels that changed with the season or even every day; conditions which made the sport extremely challenging.

 

Canadian competitive diving has progressed from 1900, when the first high diving exhibitions at an Olympic Games were conducted by male divers, through 1984, when Sylvie Bernier won Canada's first Olympic Gold Medal.  Diving is still progressing today with the development of high quality equipment, standardized rules and world class coaches.  Such development of resourses is enabling the development of divers to the point that Annie Pelletier won Olympic Bronze in 1996 and Myriam Boileau (10M Platform) and Eryn Bulmer (3M Springboard) in 1997 gave Canada its first World Champions.  Canada also saw, at the 2000 Olympic Games, Anne Montminy and Emilie Heymans win Olympic Silver in the 10M Synchronized Platform and Anne Montminy win individual Olympic Bronze in the 10M Platform.

 

Alberta athletes compete with the world's best, treating spectators to high quality entertainment as they spin and twist to perform highly complex dives.  Our skilled divers combine strength, agility, and grace, thus showing the world that diving is an art as well as a sport.

 

 

Provincial Sport Association:

8104 138th Street

Edmonton, Alberta T5R 0C9

Phone:        780-414-1247

Toll Free:    1-866-854-DIVE

Fax:            780-414-0312

Email: j_hoffman37@hotmail.com