Introducing Jake Passmore: a 19-year-old springboard diver hailing from the Shamrock Diving Club. Involved in his first-ever Olympics, Passmore’s trajectory into the event is quite remarkable. As Ireland’s third male representative in the Olympics for diving, Passmore follows in the footsteps of Oliver Dingley who took part in Rio and Tokyo, as well as Eddie Heron who competed in the 1948 London Olympics.
Passmore’s journey began when he secured a spot in the 3m Springboard event at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha this past February. Despite ranking 17th, some countries had already sent out their limit of two divers, allowing Passmore to pull through. His roots are deeply tied to Bradford, England, but qualifies for Ireland due to his Irish grandmother. He has continuously represented Ireland, taking home the nation’s first-ever diving medal in the form of bronze at the European Youth Championships in Romania in 2022.
We also have Ciara McGing, aged 23, set to compete in the 10m Platform event. Garnering her first Olympic experience, McGing’s journey to Paris was something straight out of a dream. Getting the final nod for the aquatics team in July, McGing, who originally stood 26th positioning during the World Championships in Doha, was ecstatic to make the cut.
Before graduating in the spring, McGing plied her diving trade at Ohio State. Since her mid-teens, she has been part of Sport Ireland and represented her country in World, and European Championships. Much like Passmore, McGing originally hails from London, but she can compete for Ireland through her Donegal grandmother. After representing Great Britain until her 16th birthday, she chose to compete for Ireland and moved to Blanchardstown.