Ben McCrum
Fans finally know exactly why Olympic divers take a shower after every single dive.
Over the summer, sports fans were treated to two weeks of the very best athletes in the world competing against each other for glory at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Throughout the Games, viewers were left with several questions about the dozens of sports represented at Paris as they learned more and more about sports that aren't typically shown live on television.
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As fans watched British Olympic legend Tom Daley compete in what would be his last Games, many asked why divers always have a shower immediately after their dives, and we finally have an answer.
Great Britain claimed five medals across the diving events at the Paris Olympics, four bronze and one silver medal awarded to Daley and Noah Williams in the men's synchronised 10-meter platform.
Yasmin Harper, Scarlett Mew Jense, Jack Laugher, Anthony Harding,Lois Toulson and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix won the other medals for Team GB last year, and all of them made sure they showered after each dive to ensure they were performing at their very best.
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Fans typically assumed that the regular showers were to wash off the chlorine from the Olympic pool, but the main reason has nothing to do with that.
According to health experts, taking a shower after each dive can prevent muscle cramps and injuries.
Back in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, United States diving coach Jacob Brehmer explained to CNN: “Usually after a diver does a dive, they will have to wait a good amount of time before their next dive.
“The air temperature on the pool deck may be a little chilly, so the shower can help keep muscles warm.”
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He added: “Diving is such a precise and fast-twitch sport, if the diver gets a little cold and tight, it could really affect their performance.”
After winning his fifth Olympic medal for Team GB, Daley shocked fans by announcing that he had decided that he would be retiring from the sport following the Paris Games.
"It's always hard when you say goodbye to your sport. Lots of things to process, but I think it's the right time," Daley told the BBC.
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"This year felt like such a bonus and I got to compete in front of my family, my kids. I got to be flagbearer. So yeah, bucket list ticked off on every occasion."