If you ’ve tuned in to anyOlympic divingevents , you may have noticed that sprinkler spray water over the surface of thepoolbetween honkytonk . It seems like it could be to replenish liquid that sloshed over the sides after a diving — but world - classdivershardly make a splash .
So what ’s the point of wet something that ’s already as cockeyed as it could possibly be ? In this guinea pig , as Sporting Newsreports , it ’s a safety measure . The Fédération Internationale De Natation ( FINA ) , which oversees Olympic swim result , mandates “ aerofoil agitation … to help the divers in their ocular perceptual experience of the aerofoil of the piddle ” [ PDF ] .
In other words , the sprinkler make ripples across the weewee , which makes it easier for diver to see how far they are from the open of the pool . That way , they can clock their flips and twists to culminate right before they reach the water , avoiding a bungled landing place or full - onbelly flop . And while it seems like Olympian divers are probably skilled enough to avoid this anyway , as you’re able to see below , it has go on before .
The sprinkler scheme is n’t the only acceptable method acting of agitating the surface . In fact , FINA actually lists an “ underwater house of cards auto ” before mentioning sprinkler . “ The auto shall only be used for the purpose if it creates sufficient body of water agitation when working with a very low pressure , ” the rule Christian Bible explains . If not , officials should use above - reason sprinkler .
Specific , yes , but that ’s sort of the theme of the rule book . Diving pool must also be at least 78.8 ° F ( 26 ° C ) , and if they ’re outside , “ springboards and platforms are recommend to face north in the Northern Hemisphere and Dixieland in the Southern Hemisphere . ”
[ h / tSporting News ]
