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• Uncertain future: Paris-bound Knight-Wisdom iffy about future in diving due to financial constraints

  It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer willpower and determination of Jamaica’s diving flagbearer Yona Knight-Wisdom.

  While it is not surprising, as Olympians are often seen as the epitome of human performance given their incredible physical and mental strength, the manner in which Knight-Wisdom conducts himself is so businesslike that his financial challenges pale in comparison to his performances.

  Despite having very little financial backing since he rose to prominence as Jamaica’s first-ever male diver to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Knight-wisdom has never lost hope and continues to establish himself on the global stage.

  But while his ambition and immense ability shines through like the noonday sun, Knight-Wisdom is once again left contemplating his future in the sport, as he believes the hard work and sacrifice that goes into a thriving career means very little without the necessary funding.

  This, as the task of achieving the Olympic dream requires financial accessibility, which Knight-Wisdom seldom has, as he sometimes struggles to make ends meet where preparation for, and getting into competitions are concerned.

  It is for this reason why the talented diver, who recently qualified to represent Jamaica at a third-consecutive Olympic Games, might not push for a fourth, as the sport has been cruel in returning dividends on his spend.

  

  “There are many factors that I will have to take into consideration when looking at the future. I think my body would be able to cope with another four years because I’m very professional and committed to doing things in the right way,” he declared.

  “The main question for me is value. Of course, it would be amazing to chase a fourth Olympic Games, but there isn’t much money in diving, it takes a lot of personal and financial sacrifice, and I need to figure out if there is enough value in it,” Knight-Wisdom told SportsMax.TV from his base in the United Kingdom.

  Though Knight-Wisdom’s hardship isn’t unique, as many athletes look for ways to make ends meet while training, it is the grace and faith that the English-born diver, whose mother is Barbadian and father Jamaican, exudes as he represents the country with much gusto that stands out.

  Like his admirers, Knight-Wisdom continues to bask in the fact that he will again represent the country at a third consecutive Olympic Games, as he recently secured an automatic quota spot to this summer’s Paris Olympics Games.

  Unlike Rio in 2016 and Tokyo 2020, this qualification struck an emotional chord for Knight-Wisdom, whose progress was derailed by ruptured rectus femoris tendons in his left knee late in 2022, which required surgery and months of rehabilitation for recovery.

  “Yes, the emotion certainly caught me briefly after the preliminary round. Competing against 70 other divers and doing a dive every 50 minutes or so was a major mental battle…when you know you can’t afford to make a big mistake with each dive, 50 minutes is a lot of time for your brain to play tricks on you,” Knight-Wisdom shared.

  “The hard work I put in before my injury and the motivation to recover and get ready for 2024 meant that I was feeling good and confident coming into this event, so I’m grateful and relieved it has resulted in a positive outcome,” he added.

  That confidence stemmed from the fact that Knight-Wisdom sets appropriate goals, which helps to track his progress and provides feedback about the areas of his dives that need to be strengthened.

  Add to that the fact that he holds strict expectations which does not allow for areas of his dives to be weak, thereby ensuring that he gives a capital effort on each occasion.

  Still, the results were not always what he expected along the way.

  

  But given his unwavering commitment and determination to reap success for the black, green and gold, Knight-Wisdom kept plugging away at training knowing very well that it takes flawless routines to turn his fortunes around.

  The 28-year-old has shown in the past that he possesses enough ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most, and that he did at the World Aquatics Championships, where he ended with a semi-final score of 368.95.

  “My performances were actually a little lower than I was hoping for, though that is because I anticipated the qualification standard would be a little higher than it was in the end. My dives were good and solid throughout, with only one major mistake in the semi-final, but they all need to be refined and improved to attract even higher scores from the judges when I do them well. But overall, my performances were similar to how my training has been, so I have no complaints,” Knight-Wisdom said.

  “This time round I think I was more expectant that I would qualify, even considering the injury. It definitely wasn’t a certainty, but I wasn’t relying on hope and belief as much as I was for Rio or Tokyo. I feel like I’ve done what most people, including myself, thought I would do. I don’t think many people will be shocked or surprised that I have qualified this time so it did sink in very quickly and I was straight to thinking how I can get better,” he reasoned.

  That said, the lanky six-foot tall diver declared his intentions to possibly spring a surprise in Paris, provided he maintains a clean bill of health to improve on his current vein of form.

  “I’d love to put myself in a position to produce a shocking result in the summer. I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” he stated.

  “This (qualification) was another stepping stone on my journey back to peak performance, a potential obstacle successfully negotiated, so I will just continue working on improving the finer details of my dives and on more consistent execution. My confidence will continue to build going forward which will be displayed in my dives,” Knight-Wisdom ended.

• Disappointing but invaluable experience: Knight-Wisdom hopes to bounce back from PanAm flop to secure Olympic qualification

  Things may not have gone how Yona Knight-Wisdom would have liked during his recent outing at the Pan American (PanAm) Games in Chile, but the flag-bearing diver has no intentions reeling in the disappointment for too long.

  Instead, Knight-Wisdom views the sub-par performances as an indication that he has some amount of work to do, if he is to achieve the feat of competing at a third-consecutive Olympic Games.

  The British-born diver, whose father is Jamaican and mother Barbadian, placed 11th in both the individual 1-metre and 3-metre springboard events with scores of 318.60 and 372.10 respectively.

  He also placed fifth in the 3-metre springboard synchronized dive with Canada-born compatriot Yohan Eskrick-Parkinson. Together, they scored 345.51, behind their Mexican (425.46), Colombian (398.67) and United States (368.64) counterparts.

  “There is definitely a hint of disappointment from PanAm Games because I struggled with inconsistency throughout the week. But at the same time, I am also a bit excited for the months ahead because I managed to reach a decent level at such an early point in the season and there’s much room for improvement, both individually and in synchro,” Knight-Wisdom told SportsMax.TV.

  “The PanAm Games really exposed my natural strengths and weaknesses, so I know exactly what I need to work on between now and the World Championships in February, and hopefully my confidence will grow over the next few months. Synchro was probably the highlight for me because it was a really solid performance in a high quality field. We’re definitely in the mix for Olympic qualification,” he added.

  While he reflected with a mixed bag of emotions, Knight-Wisdom, pointed out that the lessons from his recent performances and, by extension, the challenges he overcame along the way, are used as motivation to go even harder in his next training session or competition.

  Simply put, Knight-Wisdom’s passion and desire to achieve greatness burns fiercely much like a hellish fire, as he is not merely satisfied with his 1-m springboard silver at the 2019 PanAm Games, nor his 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games appearance.

  “So many lessons have come from PanAm. It was one of the most challenging periods of my career, having only six weeks to prepare, and still only 10 months or so since my knee surgery. It showed me that I’m absolutely still capable, but I really need to streamline my focus on competition preparation in the lead up to the last qualifier in February,” Knight-Wisdom shared.

  Though the physical and mental challenges are not unique to Knight-Wisdom as many athletes often struggle to find their way back from injury, it is the grace and faith that towering diver exudes as he represents the country with much gusto that stands out.

  “I was also getting lots of compliments from other divers and coaches, which gives me confidence even though I wasn’t feeling particularly good within myself on this occasion,” Knight-Wisdom said.

  “I honestly believe I’m on the right track and don’t need to make any drastic changes, I just need to trust the process and I believe I will have a great chance of qualifying for the Olympics in two events. So though disappointing, the PanAm experience was definitely extremely valuable for me,” he noted.

  For now, Knight-Wisdom said the focus is now rest and recovery to not only improve his mental toughness, but more importantly, to ensure he returns, better and stronger for his next assignment in December, followed by the big Olympic qualifiers in February.

  “So it is a few days of rest, then back into training to prepare for the British nationals in December, which will be my last warm up event before the World Championships in Doha in February.

  “My chances are definitely good, but anything can happen on the day, so I really need to leave no stone unturned over the next few months and put myself in the best position possible to compete close to my best level in February. I don’t need to be right at my best, but my best is what I’ll be aiming for,” he ended.

• Tom Daley to return to diving with sights set on Paris Olympics

  Olympic champion Tom Daley has said he will return to the pool to target a spot at Paris 2024.

  Daley, 29, won Olympic gold alongside Matty Lee in the men’s synchronised 10 metre platform at the Tokyo Games, his third Olympics after his debut as a teenager at London 2012.

  The three-time world champion has taken two years out since then, saying he had “in theory retired”, but in a new YouTube video he said a recent trip to Colorado Springs in the United States had reignited his competitive spirit with a year to go until Paris.

  Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black travelled to Colorado for the birth of their second son, with Daley saying he had not realised its status as an Olympic city until they arrived. He then took eldest son Robbie to the museum there and felt inspired to attempt a return.

  “Robbie said to me, ‘Papa, I want to see you dive in the Olympics’,” Daley said. “It has lit a new flame in me to see where this goes, I don’t know where this is going to go.

  “I don’t know if this is going to be a completely silly idea of me getting back in the pool or an opportunity for me to do this recreationally and have a bit of fun without any pressure, or if my body is going to be able to get back on a diving board and dive half-decently.

  “I don’t know what that’s going to look like. Paris 2024 is definitely a goal. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible but you never say never.”