Putting in the work: the evolution of diving prodigy
Now legally an adult by state law, Hedberg has come a long way from being the scrawny diver that dazzled a country four years ago.
“I’ve gotten multiple harder dives in the last few years.” assets the wunderkind, turned senior-level standout. “I’ve gotten a back three and a half pike, that’s one of my harder dives. And I learned front four and half a few years ago. So I’ve gotten the harder list”
“I’m also just really working on refining my technique, focusing on the little things, like nutrition, sleep, really working my mental game, just things like that.”
Aside from the obvious physical growth and difficulty boost associated with his senior-level ascendancy, Hedberg’s made real strides in how he approaches diving at a physiological level.
“I kind of really worked on perfecting, like, an in-between dive routine at competitions,” he explains.
“I usually listen to music, just to keep myself in the zone and stay focused, and then I like to just keep my body loose, keep it moving, so I feel fresh and just ready to perform the next dive.”
He also prioritizes his breathing, and tries not to think too much about the dive itself, but rather key points in the dive that can make or break the score.
“I definitely like to focus on quality of dives, just really focusing on executing the dive and doing a dive that I know I can perform well,” adds Hedberg. “There’s the time where there needs to be a little risk involved, just pushing that degree of difficulty.”
“If I can perform [a dive] at a higher, like a high enough level, I think it’s definitely worth it.”
Of course, balancing the artistry, execution and difficulty of a dive is one of the great challenges for divers themselves – Hedberg included.
“I definitely think it takes a balance, like refining technique in practice, learning the newer dives, just trying to get myself better each day on a daily basis, but also going out there and trying to perform and compete with the best in the world.”
And so, he arrives at the World Aquatics Championships 2025 more focused, more disciplined and more mature, with lofty dreams and ambitious goals on his mind, but with an equally healthy relationship to success, prestige and competition in his back pocket.
“I’m just trying to put on a performance on this high international level, but also, just take it back home; the learning experiences and all the information that I learned from all these big meets.”