Standing on a board, three meters above the water and looking out over the whole pool. One deep breath in, ready to explode off the board and enter the water, hoping for the greatest entry ever.
Ammar Hassan, a runner-up at Egyptian Nationals for diving, has traveled far from home. Home is thousands of miles away and across the Atlantic Ocean in Egypt.
He recently enrolled at Colorado Mesa University this spring semester by getting recruited to dive; he has already made a name for himself after only one meet. Hassan broke the school record at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Swim and Dive Championships in both the one-meter and three-meter events, which allowed him to stand at the top of the podium for both events.
From the age of five years old, Hassan has a passion for diving. In Egypt, his father helped him stay motivated and dedicated to the sport even when Hassan may have felt like leaving it all behind.
“When you get an injury or something bad in diving and you may tell yourself I’m not going to compete in this sport,” Hassan said. “My father was helping me. He said, ‘You are a champion and I see that. You are going to be a very good diver.’ He gives me the power again.”
Hassan came to CMU after four other divers from Egypt came to America. One of them messaged Hassan after the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“He told me that I can come to America and get a scholarship. That it would be better for me,” Hassan said. “So I emailed Coach Logan and he offered a good scholarship.”
Since joining the Mavericks, Hassan has competed in only the RMAC Championships but has set school records in both the one-meter and three-meter event while setting the RMAC record in the three-meter.
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Hassan is wasting no time at CMU. The fact that he is doing something to benefit his future is what drives him here at CMU. With balancing seven-hour training days and getting a degree in finance, Hassan has to balance his time wisely. He does have a background in finance from taking classes in Egypt, which he explained helps him with his studying now. But on top of that, there is a lot of time at the pool.
“Training at 6 a.m. and finish at 9:30[a.m.]. Then I study and sleep a little and then training again from 2 p.m. to 5:30[p.m.],” Hassan said.
Training and his dedication to the sport are not for nothing. He has a goal and is on the track to accomplish it. His goal? The Olympics, of course.
“It’s my dream. I was doing my best to go to Rio, but I was in the high school and you have to have a good score and I wasn’t training so hard. I told myself that I am going to Tokyo in 2020,” Hassan said.
Hassan competed for Egypt in the 2017 FINA World Championships in which he placed 45th in the one-meter and 46th in the three-meter board. He will compete for his home country, Egypt, but wants to graduate from CMU next year and then return to get his Masters.
“I’m planning to get a degree from here. It depends on my visa and some stuff, I hope I can finish all of this,” Hassan said.
He will compete in the spring or 2019 and hopefully graduate. His plan is to return home and head off to the Olympics and then return to CMU for his masters and competing again.
Although Hassan has had his setbacks over the past 16 years while diving, like breaking his wrist and slamming his knee into his mouth, he has been determined and focused on his passion. He explained that you can’t give up or let anything get in the way of focus. His family, friends and coaches have pushed him and have shown through this season. The more he competes and trains at CMU the more confident and aggressive he has become.
“My coach always helping me saying be confident,” Hassan said. “I only remember this while I’m jumping, I can do it, it’s my jump.”
Hassan, along with other CMU divers and swimmers, will continue training for NCAA Division II Nationals. The diving qualifier will take place on March 13 in Greensboro, NC. The actual National Championships will initiate the following day.