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Yona Knight-Wisdom
Yona Roshen Knight-Wisdom (born 12 May 1995) is a diver. Born in England, he represents Jamaica internationally. He competed at the 2016, 2020 Summer Olympics and at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He placed 2nd in the 1 metre springboard event at the 2019 Pan American Games. He was the first Jamaican male diver and first Caribbean male diver at an Olympic Games. Early lifeKnight-Wisdom was born in Leeds, England. His father, Trevor Wisdom, is from Jamaica and his mother, Grace Knight, is from Barbados.[1] Knight-Wisdom studied at Leeds Grammar School, and is a graduate of Leeds Beckett University, where he studied sport and exercise science.[2][3][1] Diving careerKnight-Wisdom's diving career began in 2004; he has said that he took up the sport after seeing it at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.[4] He started diving for City of Leeds Diving club along with British divers Jack Laugher, Chris Mears, Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg.[2] Knight-Wisdom has said of himself that "I am a 190 cm tall, 90 kg heavy, black diver... Watch a diving event and that is not something you will see very often."[1][5] International careerIn 2012, Knight-Wisdom decided to represent Jamaica in international competition; he had been eligible to compete for Barbados or Great Britain, but had struggled to get in the British team.[5][6] Knight-Wisdom competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, making him Jamaica's first-ever male Commonwealth diving competitor;[a] Knight-Wisdom finished fifth in the 1 metre springboard event, and eleventh in the 3 metre springboard event.[9][10] He competed at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.[11] Knight-Wisdom placed 2nd at the 2016 FINA Diving World Cup, which also qualified him for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[12] He was named Leeds Beckett University Sportsman of the Year for 2016.[13] At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Knight-Wisdom became the first male Jamaican diver at the Olympics, as well as the first male diver from any Caribbean nation.[3][12][5][b] Knight-Wisdom came in 2nd in the 1 metre springboard event at the 2019 Pan American Games.[14] He competed in the 3 metre springboard event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He finished 15th in the semi-final, and did not progress to the final.[15] He competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where he placed 5th in the Men's 1 metre springboard event[16] and 6th in the Men's 3 metre springboard event.[17] Knight-Wisdom will compete in the 3 metre springboard event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[18] Personal lifeKnight-Wisdom lives and trains in Edinburgh.[18] Notes
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