Budapest’s Duna Arena to host debut of European Aquatics Junior High Diving Championships in 2026

European Aquatics will take a significant and exciting step forward next summer when the Duna Arena in Budapest hosts the very first European Aquatics Junior High Diving Championships on .June 17 and 18.

For Claudio De Miro, chair of the European Aquatics Technical High Diving Committee, the event represents the start of something the sport has been waiting for. “It will be the first time a European Junior High Diving Championship will be held,” he says. “We have to get started, and I’m sure this discipline will develop significantly in the coming years.”

Because the Duna Arena does not feature permanent high-diving platforms, organisers will install a temporary tower inside the main pool.

“A temporary tower with 12- and 15-metre platforms will be built,” De Miro explains. “These heights have been chosen to match the needs of junior athletes, creating a smooth progression from traditional diving into high diving.

“The advantage for the Junior category is to dive from a height between the 10 metres required in diving competitions and the 20 metres required for senior high diving competitions in Europe.”

The heights will be split into two categories: 12 metres for divers aged 15–16, and 15 metres for those aged 17–19. “The official heights for the junior championships are 12 metres for Category B and 15 metres for Category A.” De Miro adds.

As this is the debut edition, expectations are realistic regarding participation. “We know there probably won’t be many competitors and federations,” De Miro admits. “But we have to get started.”

De Miro’s focus is squarely on establishing a structure that will allow the discipline to grow organically year after year. High diving, he points out, already has a strong foundation in Europe thanks to events organised by both private groups and global governing bodies.

“In the past there have been organisations such as Red Bull and World Aquatics who have put on competitions in Europe with excellent technical and spectator results,” De Miro says. The new junior championships build on that foundation by giving young athletes their own stage for the first time.”

Still, De Miro is clear about the biggest obstacle the sport faces. “Since it’s not an Olympic discipline many federations don’t support high diving with dedicated budgets,” he explains. “The biggest challenge, therefore, is ensuring that the sport receives the same attention and support as other aquatic disciplines.”

More support, he believes, would immediately translate into a greater number of athletes entering the sport.

There is further good news ahead: high diving will feature at the European Aquatics Championships 2026 in Paris. “Yes, high diving will be at Paris 2026,” De Miro confirms. “For the first time, the men’s competition will be 20 metres high, instead of 27 metres as in many other events. We are confident that the event will be a great success.”

For now, though, the focus is on Budapest and on giving Europe’s young high divers their first dedicated continental platform. De Miro is optimistic but grounded. “The important thing is to start,” he says. “Then we’ll see where and what to improve.”

With the Duna Arena preparing to welcome the continent’s emerging talents, the inaugural European Aquatics Junior High Diving Championships mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter – one that aims to elevate high diving’s future.

Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics

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