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Yona Knight-Wisdom

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Yona Knight-Wisdom
Personal information
Full nameYona Roshen Knight-Wisdom
NationalityBritish, Jamaican
Born (1995-05-12) 12 May 1995 (age 29)
Leeds, England, UK
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Weight90 kg (198 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryJamaica
SportDiving
Medal record
Men's diving
Representing  Jamaica
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Lima 1 m springboard

Yona Roshen Knight-Wisdom (born 12 May 1995) is a diver. Born in England, he represents Jamaica internationally. He competed at the 2016, 2020 Summer Olympics and at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He placed 2nd in the 1 metre springboard event at the 2019 Pan American Games. He was the first Jamaican male diver and first Caribbean male diver at an Olympic Games.

Early life

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Knight-Wisdom was born in Leeds, England. His father, Trevor Wisdom, is from Jamaica and his mother, Grace Knight, is from Barbados.[1] Knight-Wisdom studied at Leeds Grammar School, and is a graduate of Leeds Beckett University, where he studied sport and exercise science.[2][3][1]

Diving career

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Knight-Wisdom's diving career began in 2004; he has said that he took up the sport after seeing it at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.[4] He started diving for City of Leeds Diving club along with British divers Jack Laugher, Chris Mears, Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg.[2] Knight-Wisdom has said of himself that "I am a 190 cm tall, 90 kg heavy, black diver... Watch a diving event and that is not something you will see very often."[1][5]

International career

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In 2012, Knight-Wisdom decided to represent Jamaica in international competition; he had been eligible to compete for Barbados or Great Britain, but had struggled to get in the British team.[5][6] Knight-Wisdom competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, making him Jamaica's first-ever male Commonwealth diving competitor;[a] Knight-Wisdom finished fifth in the 1 metre springboard event, and eleventh in the 3 metre springboard event.[9][10] He competed at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.[11]

Knight-Wisdom placed 2nd at the 2016 FINA Diving World Cup, which also qualified him for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[12] He was named Leeds Beckett University Sportsman of the Year for 2016.[13]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Knight-Wisdom became the first male Jamaican diver at the Olympics, as well as the first male diver from any Caribbean nation.[3][12][5][b]

Knight-Wisdom came in 2nd in the 1 metre springboard event at the 2019 Pan American Games.[14] He competed in the 3 metre springboard event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He finished 15th in the semi-final, and did not progress to the final.[15] He competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where he placed 5th in the Men's 1 metre springboard event[16] and 6th in the Men's 3 metre springboard event.[17]

Knight-Wisdom will compete in the 3 metre springboard event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[18]

Personal life

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Knight-Wisdom lives and trains in Edinburgh.[18]

Notes

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  1. ^ Betsy Sullivan competed for Jamaica in the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.[7][8]
  2. ^ Betsy Sullivan competed for Jamaica in the 1972 Olympic Women's 3 metre springboard.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Critchley, Mark (24 February 2016). "Yona Knight-Wisdom: Who is Jamaica's first Olympic diver and what's special about him?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b Sobot, Lee (4 March 2016). "Road to Rio: Usain Bolt's new buddy is making a splash for Jamaica". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Rio 2016: Diver Yona Knight-Wisdom will represent Jamaica at the Olympic Games". BBC News. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Jamaican diver Yona Knight-Wisdom hopes to make a big Olympic splash". The Economic Times. 25 February 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Diver Knight-Wisdom Hopes Olympic Berth Will Inspire Jamaicans". Jamaica Gleaner. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Young diver drools at prospect of competing for Ja". The Jamaica Observer. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  7. ^ "1966 Commonwealth Games". AllDownUnder.com. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Next generation of Olympic hopefuls take the plunge in city's pool of talent". The Yorkshire Post. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Glasgow 2014: Jamaica's Yona Knight-Wisdom makes history". BBC Look North. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  10. ^ Official results book: Glasgow 2014 Aquatics (Diving), 30 July–2 August 2014 (PDF) (pdf). Glasgow 2014. pp. 16, 27. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Men's 1 metre springboardstartlist of the 2015 World Aquatic Championships". Omega Timing. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  12. ^ a b "'I'm absolutely shocked,' says Jamaican diver after winning World Cup silver and place at Rio 2016 Olympic Games". Rio 2016. 23 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Jamaica's Rio-bound diver is university's Sportsman of The Year". Sports Max. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Diver Knight-Wisdom reveals financial challenges on his way to Olympic qualification". Sport Max. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Men's 3m Springboard Semifinal" (PDF). Olympics.com. 3 August 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Men's 1m Springboard - Final". results.birmingham2022.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Men's 3m Springboard - Final". results.birmingham2022.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  18. ^ a b Wu, Kane (1 August 2024). "Diving-Jamaica's first male Olympic diver hopes to inspire younger generation". Reuters. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
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