Head Diving Coach Jane Figueiredo was preparing the British team for Tokyo 2020 before lockdown came into place. In an exclusive interview for The Park magazine, we spoke to her about what this abrupt change was like for her and her athletes, and the impact of the pandemic on competitive sport.

What was it like going from training for the Olympics to being in lockdown?
Obviously it was quite devastating for everyone to completely stop training so suddenly, but we all understood the severity of the situation and everyone’s health was at the forefront of our minds. We had to make decisions to return to our families very quickly which is what we did.             

Did the athletes continue training during lockdown?
Absolutely – all our divers continued training throughout lockdown. They all had scheduled workouts at home including yoga, weights, cardio on bikes and or in the yards, gymnastics and home workouts from various internet sites. It was very important to continue doing as much exercise as possible and watching their nutrition so they could return back to the pool in fairly good shape.

Did you all keep in touch during lockdown?
We’ve all done a great job of communicating every week on Zoom – it’s been really nice talking more one-on-one or in groups and catching up with each other on a less formal basis.

What are your tips for people looking to keep more active at home?
Try to mix up your workouts and don’t be too hard on yourself – there are many websites offering a variety of great workouts for people to try. Meditation and yoga are both really good to keep your mental health in check.

Did you miss the Park?
Yes, we all have! We saw all the beautiful pictures of the Park and its attractions being posted on social media so it’s been great looking at those. The Park is such a vibrant, fun, exciting place and there is always so much to do there – I couldn’t wait to get back and enjoy the tranquillity of the nature and enjoy a nice long walk on the canals.

Do you think potentially competing without crowds could have an impact on the athletes’ performance?
For the moment, we won’t have to worry about that as we won’t have any competitions until January. Regardless of whether there will be crowds or not, I think by that point we will be just happy to be back competing.

What impact might this have on future competitive performances, such as the rescheduled Tokyo Games?

There is always a worry that we have lost valuable time training but we have no control over that at this point – some countries have continued training with no break during lockdown whereas us, and several other countries, have had no ability to train at all. We will always do our best to make up what we’ve missed, as long as it’s a healthy environment and the athletes and coaches are not put at risk. We were all very much looking forward to the London Aquatics Centre reopening, both for the pool and gym space – it’s great to be back!

The British diving team are now back training again, and the London Aquatics Centre is open for visitors again too! In order to keep the venue safe for everyone, increased safety measures are in place including a limited capacity in both the pools and gym spaces – pre-book a slot ahead of your visit online or via the Better UK app. You can also visit our Coronavirus information page for the latest news on the Park and its venues before planning your visit.