Knight-Wisdom wins historic Olympic diving berth for Jamaica

Yona Knight-Wisdom became the first Jamaican men's diver to qualify for the Olympic Games after winning silver in the 3m springboard at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

The 20-year-old presented a stable performance in Monday's finals after only ranking 11th in the semifinals. He surprisingly took the silver medal with a total of 459.25 points, while Mexico's Rommel Pacheco topped the finals with a score of 504.40 and Kristian Ipsen from the U.S. came in third.

"I don't believe that it's happened, but apparently I won a SILVER MEDAL at the 2016 DIVING WORLD CUP!! Genuinely waiting for someone to say April Fools," wrote Knight-Wisdom on his facebook.

It was not only Jamaica's first World Cup medal, but also the first Olympic berth for its men's diving. According to Knight-Wisdom, there was a Jamaican female diver at the Olympics in 1972. Knight-Wisdom, whose personal best at World Championships only ranked 34th, will compete at his first Olympic Games.

As a 190-cm tall, 90-kg heavy, Knight-Wisdom is different from the stereotyped divers. "I think that it should inspire people to try new things. Don't be limited to what is normal and what is safe. Don't be afraid to go against the odds. Watch a diving event and that is not something you will see very often. I've gone against the odds, with the faith and support of my family, coaches and teammates, and I've succeeded," he told The Gleaner in an interview shortly after his qualification.

Born in England, Knight-Wisdom began diving in 2004 after being selected through a talent-identification program.

"I remember watching the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, just after I got involved in the sport, and saw Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield win a silver medal for Britain in the 10-meter synchro. From that point, it was always my dream to compete in an Olympic Games," he noted.

After finding difficulty in entering British diving team, Knight-Wisdom chose his father's born-country Jamaica to represent, and he has been representing the country since 2012. But he still trains with British team. He ranked 10th in the 3m springboard at last year's Pan American Games, and 11th at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Currently he is still a student at Britain's Leeds Beckett University, and has to write and hand in dissertation on April 27. To balance his Olympic dream with his studies will become a challenge.

"This process, especially in the last four years, has required much sacrifice, particularly of my socializing time, lots of commitment and discipline," Knight-Wisdom said.

"I aim to enjoy the experience as much as possible because it's not often you get to go to an Olympic Games." Endi