Sheffield diver Jordan Houlden heading to his first Olympics

It says everything about Sheffield Diving Club member Jordan Houlden that the reaction of his loved ones to the news he was going to his first Olympics was more important to him than his own feelings.

The 25-year-old’s place on the 11-strong Team GB diving squad for the Paris Olympics was confirmed on Wednesday.

Houlden will compete in the 3m springboard in Paris, with his “consistency in critical competition moments” cited by associate performance director Tim Jones as a key reason for his selection.

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Houlden, who told The Yorkshire Post in December 2022 that he had been diagnosed with ADHD a year earlier, said: “It means a lot to me to be selected to go to the Olympics - but it meant the world to me when I told my family and friends and saw their reactions.”

Sheffield's Jordan Houlden of Team Great Britain competes in the Men's 1m Springboard Final on day three of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships at Fukuoka Prefectural Pool on July 16, 2023 (Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)Sheffield's Jordan Houlden of Team Great Britain competes in the Men's 1m Springboard Final on day three of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships at Fukuoka Prefectural Pool on July 16, 2023 (Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Sheffield's Jordan Houlden of Team Great Britain competes in the Men's 1m Springboard Final on day three of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships at Fukuoka Prefectural Pool on July 16, 2023 (Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

A European and Commonwealth Games medallist, Houlden joins Sheffield Diving club team-mate Yasmin Harper in Paris as well as the City of Leeds trio of triple Olympic medallist Jack Laugher, Lois Toulson and Anthony Harding.