Yona Knight-Wisdom: Who is Jamaica's first Olympic diver and what's special about him?

The 20-year-old was born in Leeds to a Jamiacan father and Barbadian mother

Yona Knight-Wisdom (Getty Images)

Who is Yona Knight-Wisdom?

Yona Knight-Wisdom is set to become Jamaica’s first ever Olympic diver at this year’s Games in Rio de Janiero, after qualifying at the biennial Diving World Cup.

Knight-Wisdom, who was born in Leeds to a Jamiacan father and Barbadian mother, claimed 17^th-spot in the standings at the tournament and earned one of the 18 guaranteed Olympic qualification places.

What’s his story?

Knight-Wisdom began diving in 2004 after being spotted by talent scout and became inspired while watching the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As he struggled to break into the British team, he was encouraged to represent one of his parents’ countries of birth.

He chose Jamaica and first represented the country in 2012. He competed in the Wordl Aquatics Championships in Barcelona the following year and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

What’s special about him?

Knight-Wisdom is 190cm tall and weighs 90kg, making him significantly larger in a sport dominated by smaller athletes.

If he competes in Rio, he will not only become Jamaica’s first Olympic diver, but the first male Olympic diver to represent any Caribbean island.

"I am a 190 cm tall, 90 kg heavy, black diver,” he told Reuters. “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 team mates, and I've succeeded.”

Knight-Wisdom, a student at Leeds Beckett University, hopes to inspire others, from the Caribbean and beyond, to try new things and push themselves to their limits.

"I think the history of it will really sink in during the Games. Right now I'm still worrying about the dissertation I have to write and hand in on the 27th of April.”