Post-Olympics membership boom at top Harrogate diving club

Harrogate District Diving Club is gearing up to welcome 40 new divers next week after the Olympics increased interest in the sport.

One of the club’s former members, Ripon’s Jack Laugher, won bronze in the men’s individual three-metre springboard event at the Tokyo Olympics to go with the gold medal he won in Rio in 2016.

His success, along with that of other divers, such as Tom Daley, has encouraged more people to take up the sport.

The Harrogate club has helped to develop numerous elite divers over the years, most notably Laugher and Oliver Dingley.

Leanne Jalland, chair of the club, said the creation of Brimhams Active, which was set up by Harrogate Borough Council to manage leisure facilities, including the Hydro, had been a “positive step” because it had led to increased diving time in the pool.

Ms Jalland said:

“This is a positive step forward, we’re increasing the number of divers locally.

“Everyone is keeping to their promises and we’ve been able to come up with a pathway, which means diving in Harrogate is secure long-term.”

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The club’s success comes even though the pool’s diving platform has been out of use since cracks were found in November last year.

The poolside scaffolding looks set to remain in place for some time as the council has yet to appoint a contractor or offer a timescale for the repair work.

In the meantime, divers are making use of the club’s two mobile one-metre diving boards. Some members have had to travel to West Yorkshire to use better diving facilities.

A council spokesperson said:

“We will be replacing the current diving platform at the Hydro due to its age and the amount of work required to fix it.

As previously confirmed we will announce timescales for the replacement once a contractor has been appointed and a programme of works has been agreed.”