Three of Edinburgh Leisure’s staff will represent diving at this year’s Olympics in Paris.
Performance Dive Coach – Jen Leeming, who has worked for Edinburgh Leisure for 12 years developing the diving programme, will be attending the 2024 Olympics with Team Jamaica, having coached Edinburgh Leisure Dive Coach, Yona Knight-Wisdom, who is representing his country. Meanwhile, Dive Specialist Vicki Tomlinson will be representing GB as a diving judge.
This will be Jen’s second Olympic Games, but her third with Edinburgh divers competing at the Games. In 2016 she coached ex-Edinburgh diver Grace Reid to the 2016 Rio Olympic 3 metre final but was unable to attend as coach. Then, in 2021 Jen supported Edinburgh Diver James Heatly to the Olympic 3 metre final in Tokyo. Jen and Yona will be travelling out on Tuesday to Paris.
Jen Leeming said: “For Edinburgh to produce three Olympians over eight years is amazing and really demonstrates the progress and excellent facilities and coaching in Edinburgh.
“Yona is an extremely professional athlete who demonstrates a high-level of consistency day in, day out. Yona is a true role model for all divers in Edinburgh and Great Britain. We are very lucky to have him as an athlete and coach in our programme.”
Born, raised and educated in Leeds, Knight-Wisdom started diving at 9 years old in 2004, deciding to represent his father’s nation of Jamaica in 2011. He graduated from Leeds Beckett in 2016 with a degree in sports science, and also started coaching diving in 2013.
Knight-Wisdom moved to Edinburgh in 2018 solely to continue his pursuit of diving at the highest level. Yona Knight-Wisdom said: “Jen was the main reason for choosing to move to Edinburgh and it turned out to be the best choice as she was key in getting me to Tokyo and now to Paris.
“Jen was a coach in Leeds when I started diving so she already knew me well and I knew she’d be a great coach for me. As she is about to start a new non-coaching role with Aquatics GB, I’m excited that I’ve given her the opportunity to finish this part of her coaching career at the highest level.
“I needed a job up here and coaching was perfect for me and I have been working with Edinburgh Leisure since 2019. Currently coaching a talent development squad, I have four divers going to compete at the upcoming national age groups.”
Paris will be Yona’s third games after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. He has won silver medals at the 2016 World Cup and 2019 Pan Am Games as well as at two Grand Prix events. He currently trains 11 sessions over six days of the week which comes up to about 25 hours of training, and also coaches a squad five days a week.
Vicki Tomlinson who has worked for Edinburgh Leisure as a dive co-ordinator at the Royal Commonwealth Pool since 2008, will be representing GB as a coach.
Tomlinson said: “Like Jen and Yona, I’m also from Leeds. I started judging ‘professionally’ back in 2017 and I really do have a lot of thanks to give to Edinburgh Leisure for their support, who put me through the World Aquatic Judging School, which was the start of everything for me.
“I wasn’t even thinking of Olympics at the time –it was more of a hobby and a chance to see elite level diving and bring back the knowledge I learned to my role back in Edinburgh. It was only really in the last year that my Olympic dream became more of a reality when I was selected for the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, as well as other world level events in Doha, Berlin, Monreal and Xian. It’s been a crazy busy year but I’ve loved every minute.”
Tomlinson found out about her Olympic selection in March having made it into the top 10 European judges and she goes to Paris for two weeks from 24 July.
This will be her first Olympic Games. She has yet to receive her judging schedule but it’s likely a variety of springboard, platform and synchronised events.
Five divers from Team Canada – Margo Erlam (Calgary, Alta), Caeli McKay (Calgary), Kate Miller (Ottawa), Rylan Wiens (Saskatoon) Nathan Zsombor-Murray (Pointe-Claire ) have also been making use of the diving facilities at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, and have been training alongside Edinburgh Leisure’s diving performance squad, before heading to Paris to compete.
Edinburgh was their main choice due to the facilities and being in a great city with opportunities for the divers to relax outside of training.
For those who might become a future Tom Daley, James Heatly, Grace Reid or indeed Yona Knight-Wisdom, Edinburgh Leisure has a diving pool at The Royal Commonwealth Pool, complete with a dedicated Dry Dive Area with trampolines and harnesses. Their diving programme follows the National Diving Award Scheme with classes to suit beginners right through to those at a competitive level.
Alongside their diving classes, Edinburgh Leisure offer a range of public diving sessions, which allow you to come along and try out or practice your diving skills. These sessions do not need to be pre-booked, simply check out the online timetable for session information and go along.
For more information on dive coaching at Edinburgh Leisure click here https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/activities/coaching-courses/diving
Get inspired and watch diving at the Paris Olympics
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports/diving
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
