Tanya Watson
Diving
BIOGRAPHY
Tanya Watson represented Ireland in the women’s 10 metre platform diving event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, becoming the first Irish female diver to compete at the Games.
She finished 16th in the preliminary round with a score of 289.4 points, advancing to the semi-finals, where she placed 15th and narrowly missed the final.
Watson was born in Southampton, England, and qualifies for Ireland through her maternal grandmother, who was from Derry. She started out as a gymnast before switching to diving, and was a finalist at both the European Junior and World Junior Championships in 2018 before finishing 5th at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires that year. During the Covid-19 pandemic she relocated to Dublin to train at the National Aquatic Centre with national coach Damian Ball, having previously been based at the Southampton Diving Academy under Lindsey Fraser. She qualified for Tokyo at the FINA Diving World Cup in May 2021.
Her faith as a committed Christian has been a significant part of her approach to the sport, providing, she has said, a foundation that goes beyond results. She subsequently won a place to read chemistry at Oxford University, attending St Peter’s College, and in 2022 became the first female diver to represent Team Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, finishing 10th.
TEAM IRELAND NEWS
Shane Sweetnam on a Career-Best Season
Few of Ireland’s sporting superstars are less recognisable to the general public than Shane Sweetnam but the US-based Cork rider is box-office in the world of elite showjumping right now, holding a career high of fifth in the FEI world rankings. His first Rolex Grand Prix success, at the illustrious Falsterbo Horse Show last month, [...]
Performance Round Up July 2026
Athletics LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE Mark English delivered one of the finest performances of his career as he smashed his 800m personal best to finish second at the London Diamond League on Saturday. The Donegal athlete clocked a stunning 1:42.97, dipping below the 1:43 mark for the first time and becoming just the latest Irish athlete [...]
EVENTS COMING UP IN AUGUST
Athletics World U20 Championships, Eugene, Oregon: 5-9 August European Athletics Championships, Birmingham: 10-16 August Lausanne Diamond League: 20-21 August Silesia Diamond League: 23 August Zurich Diamond League: 27 August Boxing European U19 Championships, Loznica, Serbia: 11-22 August Boxing Ireland U23 Championships, 7-22 August Cycling UEC Mountain Bike European Championships, Monteceneri, Switzerland: 30 July [...]
Irish Sailing and Rugby Sevens Shine in Action-Packed Weekend
Sailing McMahon Claims Sailing Bronze in California Eve McMahon secured a superb bronze medal at the Sailing Grand Slam event in San Pedro, California, after a composed performance in the Final Series against some of the world's best Olympic sailors. Racing took place in ideal conditions inside the bay, with 10–13 knots of breeze providing [...]
Diamond League Podiums In London for Mark English & Sarah Healy
Irish athletics enjoyed another outstanding weekend on the international stage, with Mark English and Sarah Healy producing career-best performances at the London Diamond League, while Ireland’s next generation of stars claimed a remarkable medal haul at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti, Italy. Athletics London Diamond League Mark English delivered one of the finest [...]
Team Ireland Publishes Squash Nomination Policies for Istanbul 2027 and LA28
The road to the first European Games to feature squash and the sport's Olympic debut at LA28 is now clear, with Team Ireland confirming nomination standards and qualification pathways for Irish athletes. The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), in partnership with Squash Ireland, has published the Team Ireland nomination policies for the Istanbul 2027 European [...]