Mykolaiv athlete Sereda nominated for the title of the best diver in the world

Oleksii Sereda, an athlete from Mykolaiv, is among the five nominees for the best diver. Photo: AP/Ng Han Guan

Athlete Oleksii Sereda from Mykolaiv is among the five nominees for the title of the world's best diver in 2025.

The list of candidates was published by World Aquatics.

The annual award for the best male diver has been held since 2010. The record holder for the number of victories is four-time Olympic champion Yuan Cao (three awards).

Wednesday's rivals include the current winner Cassiel Russo (Australia), Osmar Olvera (Mexico), who broke China's 18-year dominance in the 3-metre springboard, and Olympic champions Wang Zunyuan and Yuan Cao from China.

Nominees for 2025:

• Cassiel Russo (Australia)
• Osmar Olvera (Mexico)
• Oleksii Sereda (Ukraine)
• Yuan Cao (China)
• Wang Zunyuan (China)

The winner of the award will be determined by the results of the fans' vote and the decision of the Nomination Committee.

This is the first time that the Mykolaiv-based athlete has been ranked among the world's top 5 contenders for the title of the best diver. Earlier, in 2023, he was crowned the best diver in Europe.

In 2025, Sereda won three gold medals at the European Diving Championships (mixed team event, 10m platform and 10m synchronised), became the world vice-champion in the 10m platform, and also won silver and bronze at the World Cup Super Final.