Incoming Miami freshman diver Jake Passmore confident ahead of first Olympics: “I feel great and I’m looking forward to it”

Ahead of his first Olympic Games, University of Miami incoming freshman diver Jake Passmore is as cool as an icy pool. While it may be easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious under the bright lights of the Olympics, Passmore – who will be representing Ireland – is ready for it all.

“I feel great, and I’m looking forward to it, but surprisingly not as nervous as I would expect,” Passmore told CaneSport. “I feel like I’ve done the hard part of qualifying for the games, and all I can really do is have fun and try to do my best.”

After taking 17th place at the World Championships in Doha in February, the 18-year-old is competing in the men’s 3-meter springboard at the Olympic Games in Paris.

“I wasn’t really expecting to qualify this year,” Passmore said. “I had to wait until June to find out that I made it. I almost blanked when I found out. I didn’t know how to feel because nothing can prepare you for the phone call being told you’re going to the Olympics.”

Ahead of the Olympics, Passmore prepared in his hometown of Leeds, England. Passmore is able to represent Ireland thanks to his grandmother, who is from Dublin.

“Training has been good, and I was working to get stronger before the games,” Passmore said. “It’s quite a lot of training – two sessions every day, apart from Wednesday and Sunday, that are two and a half hours long.”

Shortly after the conclusion of the Olympics, Passmore is set to head to Miami Aug. 12 to begin the next chapter of his life in South Florida.

“I’m looking forward to being in the sun for a change as opposed to the UK,” Passmore said jokingly. “It’s a great campus and facility, obviously, which is going to be great for my diving. The campus there is unreal, which will be nice.”

Passmore, who took a year away from school after graduating from Emmanuel College in Cambridge, England, was introduced to Miami head diving coach Randy Ableman and assistant coach Dario di Fazio by a former coach. After speaking with the two, he was ready to commit to the Canes.

“I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do before I got in contact with Dario and Randy, who are the coaches at Miami, and they gave me an offer that I couldn’t turn down,” said Passmore. “My current coach is really good friends with Randy, and he’s told me he’s a very good coach. I’ve met them both on a handful of occasions, and they seem like great people. They also have a handful of great divers, so they must be doing something right.”

Although the 2024 Olympics are on his mind, Passmore can’t help but think about what is to come later down the road in 2028, when the Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles, Calif. Until then, he’s focused on making the most of his first Olympic experience.

“My mindset is to just enjoy it and soak up the experience,” Passmore said. “Hopefully that gives me the experience to do well in LA in 2028. I don’t really have expectations, but I just want to see what happens and start again for the next four years.”

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