Dublin Port Company commits to Irish diving star Ollie Dingley
16 May 2018
Dublin Port Company has announced it is supporting Irish Olympic diver Ollie Dingley for the next two years. The announcement sees Dublin Port Company become the first corporate sponsor to commit to Ollie as he embarks on an exciting phase in his diving career. The company’s commitment includes a fully expensed car and financial bursary to support the 25-year old as he bids to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while continuing his studies at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).
The announcement comes after Ollie competed in the 3m individual springboard at the Canada Cup, – part of the FINA Diving Grand Prix- and ahead of June’s FINA Diving World Cup in China and August’s European Championships in Glasgow.
The diver made a strong start to 2018 taking gold for Shamrock Diving Club at the British Diving Championships and earning a score of 447.10 – a new Irish record, improving on the mark he set at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. This standout performance meant the DIT student qualified for the FINA Diving World Cup. Building on this, Ollie collected three gold medals just weeks later at the Senet Diving Cup in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Focused on improving on his 8th place in the final at the Rio Olympic Games, Ollie is now working on the technicality of his dives as he turns his focus to Tokyo 2020.
The partnership with Dublin Port Company will also see Ollie lend his skills to a range of initiatives in the port’s communities, including summer outings to the National Aquatic Centre for young people from the inner city, mentoring for Dublin Port’s scholarship programme which helps to facilitate access to third level education, and as a new ambassador for mental health charity Aware. Aware’s 16-mile Harbour2Harbour Walk between Howth and Dun Laoghaire is supported by Dublin Port Company, with more than 2,000 walkers turning out annually to raise vital funds and awareness for the charity.
Ollie Dingley said: “I would like to thank Eamonn and Dublin Port Company for their ongoing support. Having access to a car has made a significant difference to me on a personal level, as it has given me stability. It has also allowed me the flexibility to start a course in DIT. This has helped in my overall development outside of the diving pool which has led to better performances and a great start to 2018. I am also really looking forward to supporting Dublin Port’s community work.”
Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: “Dublin Port is proud to support one of Ireland’s most talented athletes and we wish Ollie every success in his preparations for Tokyo 2020. Dublin Port Company’s support aims to make a real difference to Ollie’s training at such an important time in his career and we look forward to seeing him progress even further. We’re also thrilled to have him as a role model on important issues in our community, including access to third level education, and minding mental and physical health. I know his contribution will be a fantastic addition to Dublin Port’s long-standing commitment to local communities across a host of sports, education and arts programmes.”