MORGANTOWN — USA Diving announced Wednesday that it has selected the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn., over the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, to host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials.
Visit Mountaineer Country CVB Executive Director Susan Riddle said that while the result is disappointing, she knows the effort will be a springboard to future success.
“We had no brand recognition prior to this. It’s like trying to host the Final Four for the first time. Knoxville, Tenn., is an area of 1.5 million people. We don’t have a tenth of that and we weren’t on the radar of the national diving community. Since we hosted the Winter Nationals, we are certainly on their radar,” Riddle said.
Lee Michaud, president of USA Diving, said the hospitality, professionalism and attention to detail displayed by the West Virginia contingent was certainly noted when USA Diving was in town for the multi-day event back in December.
“At every turn, we were greeted with superior performance, and I have rarely felt so welcome as I did during the week we spent in the wonderful community of Morgantown for our 2022 Winter Nationals,” Michaud said. “We look forward to developing our partnership and conducting truly spectacular events for a long time to come.”
Michaud said Knoxville’s reputation as a national diving destination was among the driving factors, as were some facility modifications needed at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park.
According to a CVB press release, a parking lot expansion and additional dryland training areas for athletes were among the improvements made in preparation for the bid. A new sound system and judges’ seating are improvements to be made soon.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Riddle said. “We’re disappointed, obviously … but there’s a lot of good stuff that’s already come out of this. The community, the state and a lot of supporters all rallied together to put a first-class proposal out there and a first-class experience is what we delivered for Winter Nationals.”
Riddle said a letter of intent has already been filed to host USA Diving’s Spring Nationals and the venue aims to host a national event every year, including, hopefully, the 2028 Olympic trials.
Upcoming events at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park include the 2023 NCAA Zone Diving Championships and the 2024 Big 12 Championships.
“We’re on the merry-go-round. We didn’t quite catch the ring this time, but we’re going to get it,” Riddle said. “They know that we’re serious.”
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