In a country mad about football and boxing, Mexico’s divers are contending on the world stage

SINGAPORE – So precious is the men’s 3m synchronised silver medal that Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez won at the 2024 Paris Olympics that it is now kept in a safe deposit box in a bank in Mexico.

The Mexican diver decided on the precaution to keep his prized possession and family safe, after hearing about another athlete whose house was broken into for their Olympic medal.

But this medal represents more than just personal glory, it also signifies something greater for Mexico’s diving community.

He said: “It was a dream come true. It’s a culmination of all the hard work that we’ve put in. A lot of people also started looking at us like we’re the ones to follow, mostly Osmar (Olvera Ibarra).

“It’s nice to have all the media attention, and the little kids following us on this journey so they can start their own and see how far they can get. It’s been awesome, so we’re glad to be that example for the next generation.”

In a country obsessed with football and boxing, it may seem unexpected that Mexico’s divers have established themselves as serious contenders on the world stage.

In fact, diving is the country’s most successful sport at the Olympics, having earned 17 medals in total – one gold, along with eight silvers and eight bronzes.

Boxing, with 14 medals (2-4-8), is second, while athletics has brought home the most golds – three.

Despite this, diving remains less popular than football and boxing, but there is hope that the recent successes of the divers will bring more attention to the sport.

“Definitely, Mexico only looks at diving whenever we have a big meet,” said Celaya, who clinched a men’s 3m synchronised silver with Olvera at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 28.

“We’ve been getting a little more media attention since the (Olympic) medal, but it’s definitely one of those ‘ghost sports’, even though we’re the most successful sport internationally.

“It’s a little sad but I’m glad it’s picking up again, for more people to see that we’re pretty good at diving so they can focus on other sports than boxing and football.”

Mexico has a long history of diving success dating back to the 1940s, when Joaquin Capilla won the country’s first diving medal – a bronze in the men’s 10m platform – at the 1948 London Games.

He also won Mexico’s first Olympic diving gold two editions later, paving the way for more medals.

In more recent years, Olvera has captured the spotlight, winning two medals at the Paris Games – a silver in the synchronised 3m springboard event alongside Celaya and a bronze in the individual 3m springboard.

Olvera, the men’s 1m springboard winner at the 2024 world championships, became the first Mexican athlete since the 1984 Summer Olympics to win medals in two different events at the same Games.

Much of this success can be attributed to one person – national coach Ma Jin, who has been in her role for over two decades.

Olvera said: “Ma is, for me, the best coach in the world, and I believe in her work and her. She taught me a lot about Chinese technique, and I appreciate that.

“China are the best country in diving, and in every competition, I want to beat them and I put her work into that.”

In pursuit of excellence, Olvera turned to Ma when he was 13. In an interview with World Aquatics, he remembered feeling afraid initially as he heard that she was strict and practice was hard.

The 21-year-old recounted how on the first day working with her, he came without a backpack thinking he would not be training, but Ma had other plans.

Ma arrived in Mexico in 2003 as part of a Mexico-China sports partnership and was offered the opportunity to coach.

She initially faced challenges like the language barrier, but was determined to succeed, although she never expected such success.

Since then, Ma has guided some of the country’s best divers, including Mexico’s first world champion, Paola Espinosa.

Ma said: “I wanted to demonstrate the Chinese techniques, our culture, and the personal charisma of individuals. I imparted my techniques to them and I was able to bring about a significant change.”

Mexico’s divers also believe their success is down to something more intrinsic – their resilience.

Celaya said: “We want to succeed, want to be better, and want to show the world what we’re made of.”

This is evident in Ma’s observation of her divers, whom she said prefer doing higher-difficulty dives.

But to catch up with powerhouses China, Ma feels that more attention needs to be paid to the fundamentals of their dives.

A culture of helping one another is also key, with more experienced divers guiding the aspiring ones.

“I really love doing that. Transmitting what I know to my teammates is very important because I like being a good diver, but I also want to be a good person,” said Olympic bronze medallist Gabriela Belem Agundez Garcia, who bagged the women’s 10m synchronised silver with Alejandra Estudillo Torres on July 28.

“We have young people with big dreams, so we will continue to be a good and strong country that always tries to do its best.”