One last dive

Paris, France:

A DECISION in 2012 to represent Jamaica would change the course of Olympic diver Yona Knight-Wisdom’s life.

Three Olympic Games later, he will take to the pool for the last time, still determined to succeed, but also eager to show the way forward for Jamaican diving.

Since qualifying for his first Olympic Games in 2016, Knight-Wisdom has consistently flown the flag for diving in Jamaica. The decision to leave the sport that has been part of him since 2004, also includes a desire to exit on his terms and on the stage where he made history, becoming Jamaica’s first male diver at the Olympics and the first from any Caribbean nation.

“I was trying to figure out whether I should call it a day or should I continue. But when I qualified for the Olympics, I kind of solidified my decision and I kind of knew that it felt right. Because I’ve always wanted to retire from diving at the highest level, on my own terms, and this is the best opportunity for that,” Knight-Wisdom told The Gleaner.

“It feels good to have made that decision so that while I’m here I can soak everything in, absorb it and really enjoy every single moment of the experience. People say that it is once in a lifetime, but fortunately for me it has been three times in a lifetime.”

The years since have yielded a Pan American Games silver medal in the one-metre springboard. He does not take for granted what he has achieved, given the strength of the field in his pet event, the three-metre springboard.

“It’s tough to qualify for this. There are 25 divers starting compared to the 75 divers that started at the World Championships. It is the peak of diving in the world and to have done that three times is not easy. There are a lot of good divers that have not qualified for the games,” he said.

The three qualifications have represented phases of his journey. The euphoria of Rio 2016, to the Tokyo Games of 2021, and the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in 2024, recovering from a knee injury, Knight-Wisdom says he is more motivated to give his all for a memorable conclusion to his professional chapter.

“My standards haven’t dropped. I take it very seriously. I want to do well for no other reason than myself. I am never satisfied with my performances,” Knight-Wisdom said.

“It has been three different scenarios. Never has it been easy. Never has it been straightforward. So I am super grateful to be here.”