Jumping competitions in swimming

 Also known as ornamental jumps, jumps in swimming constitute a modality within this discipline. It is on the same level as distance sprinting, water polo, and synchronized swimming as they are all part of the world swimming championships.

However, many people do not usually take into account that this sport is a discipline in itself and consider it more as an 'exhibition' or 'attraction' that can be seen every four years at the Olympic Games or in specific competitions of this sport.

Despite this misperception, the truth is that jumping in swimming is both a demanding and exciting sport. They have a great artistic component, so showing off in the air is a physical and aesthetic demonstration. Learn more about this discipline!

Jumps in swimming: basic notions

Basically, ornamental jumps consist of jumping into the water from a fixed or vibrating point at a certain height. Along the way, the athlete must execute figures and skills that provide greater spectacularity and complexity to his jump.

It can be done both in spaces adapted for it, such as swimming with lifeguard classes near me pools with platforms or trampolines and in natural places. The latter include rivers, lakes, or even seas with spaces from which to jump and which can be cliffs, bridges, or even ropes that cross the watercourse from one end to the other.

How did this sport come about?

Water sports such as canoeing and swimming arose from the need for man to move and transport himself by this means. However, in the case of swimming jumps, the question may not be so easy to understand. How did man jump from great heights to fall into the water?

According to recent academic publications (see bibliography), for thousands of years, man has made these jumps to reach food or treasures located in the depths of the seas. This can be seen in Egyptian and Babylonian paintings, for example.

Competitively, this modality was recorded for the first time in Ancient Greece. At that time, this civilization – and also the Cretans – made jumping competitions from high surfaces into rivers.

Finally, closer in time is the records of ornamental jumping competitions in Germany, Sweden, and Great Britain in the 19th century. In these countries, they were based on gymnastic notions to extrapolate these skills to the aquatic environment.

The first time they were included in the Olympic grid was in San Luis 1904. Since then they have participated in all the Olympic Games.

What is needed to practice jumps in swimming?

First of all, it is clear that there must be an appropriate place for ornamental jumps. In addition to water and a place with height, it is important to make sure that the depth is sufficient since otherwise, it will be impossible to jump without this posing a risk to the athlete.

Physical demands of ornamental jumps

This sport demands some important physical capacities on the part of its competitors. For example, creativity, concentration, precision, technique, and flexibility are essential.

Due to this, the training to make ornamental jumps includes exhaustive physical preparation, with a lot of coordination work. Its main objective is to increase flexibility, strength, sense of rhythm, resistance, and, in general, perfect control of body movements.

Regarding the competition parameters, the judges evaluate the following points to assign a score to each jump that is made:

• Match.
• Elevation.
• Movement difficulty.
• Entrance to the water.
• Synchronization, in the case of team competitions.

Ultimately, it should be noted that different types of ornamental jumps can be performed: forward or backward, inverse, inward, with turns, or from hand balance.

Of course, each one has its technical specifications, although the main variables are the starting position (facing or back to the void), the rotation (in the direction of the platform or not), and, in the latter case, the support of hands instead of feet before the jump.

Finally, it is also necessary to mention that it is a sport with certain risks. It is not appropriate to start trying these jumps without having a base of movements and techniques and, of course, knowing how to swim is also mandatory. Ask for the help of an instructor and start practicing if you are passionate about the idea!