Dave Parrington was watching from his home in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) when the University of Tennessee hosted the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials at the old outdoor pool in 1976. Along with following the results of his potential competitors, Parrington was impressed with the university’s ability to attract such a prestigious event.
Nearly 50 years later, Parrington is the diving coach at UT and played an instrumental role in bringing the U.S. Diving Trials back to Knoxville for a second time.
Once Parrington realized Indianapolis wouldn’t be hosting the U.S. Diving Trials this year because it was hosting the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, he figured the U.S. Diving Trials may be up for bid. He collaborated with Marshall Goldman, the aquatic director at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center and Visit Knoxville to submit a proposal.
The bid was accepted, and more than 100 of the nation’s best divers are in Knoxville this week vying for a spot on the U.S. roster to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which begin July 26th.
NBC and Peacock are presenting live coverage of 2024 U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials, which began Monday and will finish Sunday at the AJIAC on campus. Rising senior Maddie Reese is the only UT diver taking part and competes in Platform Friday.
“The fact that the University of Tennessee is getting this type of coverage is big,” says Parrington, in his 35th season coaching at UT. “Just speaking in the world of recruiting, people are watching this worldwide and we do a lot of recruiting worldwide. It’s a big benefit for us and for the community overall.”
Two-year process
When UT last hosted the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials in 1976, future Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis won the springboard and platform events at age 16 to qualify for his first Olympic team.
Although UT didn’t host another Olympic Trials in the ensuing 48 years, it has hosted many major aquatic events since the AJIAC was built in 2008, such as the U.S. Diving Winter Nationals, NCAA Championships, SEC Championships, and a TYR Pro Swim Series meet in January, which featured 60 Olympians.
“We have been very fortunate over the years to have gained a really good reputation hosting big events and we have an athletic department that is walking the walk in terms of being there for all sports,” Goldman says. “This requires a lot of time, resources and maneuvering to put on. To be willing to do that for an Olympic sport speaks volumes about the people we have leading the department.”
The planning for the U.S. Diving Trials has been a two-year process. UT has hosted dozens of walk throughs and site visits and held weekly meetings to ensure everything was in place and everyone was prepared for the event.
Officials want to make sure the experience is great for the athletes, spectators and viewers at home. They know some people may be experiencing an Olympic Trials for the first time and they want to make it special.
“Fortunately, we have students here at the University of Tennessee who really want to be a part of this and take ownership of this like a full-time job,” Goldman says. “They all have their part that they are in charge of and they make it really easy in that regard.”
Honoring the past
In honor of the past diving trials held at UT, officials have invited competitors from 1976 back to Knoxville this week. They will get a chance to tour the refurbished outdoor pool, which coincidentally opened the new diving boards last week.
To secure a spot on Team USA for Paris, individual divers must place in the top two of their respective categories. In synchronized pairs, teams need to finish in first place to qualify. At the COVID-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games, U.S. divers won three medals.
Parrington knows the emotions all the divers will be feeling this week. He competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, representing Zimbabwe in the three-meter and platform events. He has also coached many Olympic-level divers and witnessed numerous U.S. Diving Trials throughout his career.
“There is a lot of excitement and nervousness. The athletes are under a lot of pressure and you never know how that will impact them,” says Parrington, who was named the SEC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year in 2024 for the 12th time in his career. “They could make a critical error or they could perform the best they’ve ever performed. That is what people want to see on this big stage.”