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27
Jul 2021
The Harrogate diving boards that helped Olympic champ Jack Laugher remain closed
Ripon's Jack Laugher goes for gold at the Olympics tomorrow — but the diving boards at the Harrogate Hydro pool where he used to train have been out of use for eight months.
Laugher began his career with Harrogate District Diving Club, as did Oliver Dingley, who represents Ireland in the Olympic diving tomorrow.
The top club has seen an increase in the number of young people interested in taking up the sport since the Tokyo games began.
But the diving boards at the Hydro, which is owed by Harrogate Borough Council, have been out of action since November last year after cracks were found in the concrete supports.
It means local young divers who aspire to be the next Jack Laugher are having to make do with a mobile one-metre board or travel to another pool in West Yorkshire.
Families have expressed frustration at the apparent lack of urgency to resolve the matter.
Today Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the Hydro, described the situation as "concerning" and called for a report to be produced within weeks.
In an article on the Community News website run by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Cllr Cooper said:
Read more:
- Here's when our local athletes are competing in the Olympics
- Harrogate's diving talent ready to represent their country at the Olympics
The Stray Ferret asked the council for an update on when the boards will be repaired.
A council spokesperson said there had been no update since its previous statement this month, which said:
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