Cassiel Rousseau, Australia Mixed Diving Team:

At first, I thought it would suck, but once we got here, it just feels like a holiday, and it is just great fun. For everyone, it was a challenge, but the setup of the venue was just great

USA’s Ellie Smart, FINA’s High Diving Female Athlete of the Year:

It’s amazing, it is so nice to be at this beautiful structure in this venue. The warmth and the energy to see everyone again, it’s super exciting.

FINA Technical Committee member Hana Novotna:

It is a great challenge for the springboard divers because they are used to diving into the pool, mostly inside. But it’s a great opportunity to show the beauty in the open, and it is fun for them to compete in other surroundings. It is great to show the public how Diving can be successful in this environment. The LOC did a great job constructing this venue.

Luana Lira, Brazil Mixed Diving Team:

It felt a bit strange at first, because I have never done a diving competition in salt water before. But it is a great experience.

Krysta Palmer, USA Mixed Diving Team:

Diving into the ocean has been so fun.  It is so different for us because we are always inside. Coming outside and doing this in the sunshine and being judges by judges that are on a boat, it is just cool.

Constantin Popovici, Romania High Diving:

It is great, I have been here before, but here on Yas Island is even better than last time. The weather is beautiful, not too hot. It is a great setup, the platforms are really good, I am happy to be here.

Aranza Vasquez Montano, Mexico Mixed Diving Team:

It is different and interesting. It is a whole new experience, but everyone is in the same boat. The environment, the energy here is just great.

Maria Paula Quintero, Colombia High Diving:

I was in Abu Dhabi in 2019, this place is amazing, and this tower is perfect. Abu Dhabi is always perfect for us.

Andres Villarreal Tudon, Mexico Mixed Diving Team:

The taste of the water is very salty. It is very nice to be here, a new experience. To be able to personally experience being here is unbelievable

Benjamin Bramley, USA Mixed Diving Team:

My favourite part is looking over the edge and seeing fish before you go.

Ginny van Katwijk, Netherlands High Diving:

I am the first and only High Diving athlete, but I had the opportunity to train and try this sport through my work as a show diver. The tower is amazing, it seems so simple, and I hope that we can build one like this in the Netherlands so we can have training opportunities.

Aidan Heslop, Great Britain High Diving:

The setup is great, the way they constructed this with the platforms and the springboards, it is quite incredible, and the location is pretty cool as well.

The future of Team events in Diving

Kawan Figueredo Pereira Brazil Mixed Diving Team:

The hardest part was the mixed synchro dive because we do not really train that or train together. But it is a great experience.

FINA Technical Committee member Hana Novotna:

It has a great potential for the future, especially because it could mean another event and medal for Diving without having to increase the quota of athletes. It is a great event for the audience and tv. The Mixed Team event can be done with 1 female and 1 male, which allows it to

Krysta Palmer, USA Mixed Diving Team:

This is a fun event; it has a lot of potential. It is really great to add Mixed Team Diving into FINA and not only at World Championships and World Cup but even into the Olympics.

Andres Villarreal Tudon, Mexico Mixed Diving Team:

I have never done a Team event before, and I love it. I want to do it again.

Aranza Vasquez Montano, Mexico Mixed Diving Team:

Competitions are usually very stressful requiring constant concentration. This Mixed Team event was the total opposite, it was fun, I liked that I could rely on my teammate and that I was not alone.

Cassiel Rousseau, Australia Mixed Diving Team:

It is definitely new; I have never dived with my teammates prior to this event. But it is a great format for Diving to get everyone together, not just male or female synchro. It is great fun.

Melissa Wu, Australia Mixed Diving Team:

I think it is nice to see some changes to the sport of diving, a little bit of innovation and it is cool to be part of it diving into the ocean.