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Here's why divers shower after every dive at the Tokyo Olympics

It's a question that often pops up around the Olympics, why do divers always rush off to the showers? There's an important reason why.

Competitive divers often go straight to a shower or jump in a jacuzzi just moments after they get out of the pool. It's a practice that has a lot of people wondering what's going on during the Olympics and seeking out answers on Google. Well, it all has to do with muscles 

According to multiple articles that have been published over the years, jumping into that water then jumping back out into an air-conditioned arena can be jarring on muscles, potentially causing them to cramp. Hopping into a shower, even for a few seconds, can help relieve stress on the muscles and prevent cramping and potential injury.

As Slate has noted, competitors will shower in warm water and then may jump into a hot tub. 

You may see them then take a towel up to the diving platform to wipe of their hands, arms and legs just in case they are doing a tuck on their upcoming dive.

How deep is an Olympic diving pool?

Leslie Hasselbach Adams, USA Diving's high performance manager and education coordinator, told TODAY that Olympic diving pools have to be at least 15 feet deep.

How cold are Olympic pools?

Overall, water temperatures for competitions need to be between 25-to-28 degrees Celsius or 77-to-82.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, FINA, the international federation that handles water sport rules and regulations, said that different sports require slightly different pool temperatures.


Platform diving pools cannot be less than 26 degrees Celsius or 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit. However, artistic swimming pools must be within a degree of 27 degrees Celsius or 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

USA Swimming in 2017 said the pool is set to a certain temperature as a safety precaution for athletes. If a pool is too warm, it can cause dehydration, overheating or worse.