Ireland’s top divers and swimmers will be aiming to secure places at the 2024 Olympic Games, as the World Aquatics World Championships get underway in Doha, Qatar this weekend.

For divers, this is their final attempt to achieve their place as part of Team Ireland in July. While for swimming, this is the penultimate occasion to secure qualification times before a final Olympic Trials in Dublin in May.

The diving team is led through the experience of Clare Cryan, who narrowly missed qualifying for Paris by only 8 points last time of asking in Fukuoka. Alongside Ciara McGing and the exciting young prospect Jake Passmore, tickets to Paris are the primary focus for all three of the diving team. Divers will need to secure a final place (top 12) to ensure they have a place on Team Ireland come July.

Ciara McGing will be the first diver in action when she takes to the Platform (10M) on Sunday. Forty six competitors will contest the preliminary round of five dives, with the top eighteen divers progressing to the semi-final on Monday. The top twelve from the semi-final will then advance to Monday afternoon’s final, securing Paris 2024 places in the process.

Speaking ahead of the commencement of the championships Diving National Head Coach Damian Ball said “The divers are edging ever closer to their very best, our final few days of training here in Doha will be focused on fine tuning their dives and adding that all important competition sharpness. The team are well prepared, looking good, and ready to embrace the challenge that lies ahead.”   

Swim Ireland National Performance Director Jon Rudd added “Our three divers are excellent performers and have shown across the course of the season that they have the capabilities to become Olympians this time of asking. Producing equivalent high-level performances that we have seen in other competitions this season will be key here – and if they dive to their abilities, they have an excellent chance to book their tickets to Paris”.

Swimming at the World Aquatics Championships will take place from Sunday 11th to Sunday 18th February 2024.

Daily reports will issue from Doha.

 

Diving Schedule

Sunday 4th February                     Platform Preliminaries                               Ciara McGing

Tuesday 6th February                   3M Springboard Preliminaries                  Jake Passmore

Thursday 8th February                  3M Springboard Preliminaries                  Clare Cryan

Saturday 10th February                Mixed 3M Synchro Final                            Clare Cryan & Jake Passmore