Pools are filled with the sounds of splashes, yet diving requires silent splashes.
As the LSU men’s swimming and diving team continues to dominate, Carson Paul has been a big part of the team’s success. The senior diver has been a model of consistency for the Tigers.
Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Paul was already diving off of couches throughout his childhood. His parents decided it would be better for him to dive into water instead of the living room floor.
“Started diving back when I was four, just because my parents were kind of getting sick of me jumping all over the place in the house,” Paul explained. “I continued with it, ending up doing pretty well, and stuck it through. Now, we’re over here at LSU.”
Paul performed well at Claremont Secondary School, where he caught the eyes of LSU’s diving staff. Despite the long distance from home, Paul knew that LSU was the place to be.
“I came here because we had a super high-caliber program here,” Paul mentioned, “and I knew that coming here would be a big change and be refreshing for me as well. I never imagined that it would turn out this well; it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Paul quickly made the LSU Natatorium his home and showed out his freshman year.
As he started getting his legs under him, his placements got better as the season progressed. Notably, he placed second on the 3-meter board and third on the 1-meter board against Alabama. He finished his freshman season with second-team All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
Even with his initial success, Paul made an even bigger splash in his sophomore season.
He received two SEC Diver of the Week awards and placed very well in the 2024 SEC Championships. He earned a silver medal in the 3-meter and a bronze medal on the 10-meter platform.
He carried on that success in the 2024 NCAA Championships by participating in all three disciplines for LSU. Paul earned 1st team All-America distinction in platform and 2nd team All-America honors in 3-meter.
Paul leveled up his game for his junior season, especially during conference meets. He became a 2025 SEC champion by winning the 3-meter dive and also earned an SEC silver medal in the platform. He then went on to receive two All-America honors in 3-meter and platform.
When asked about his mindset, Paul expressed how he feels before diving.
“When you’re standing back there, not on the board, you’re going through kind of every motion in your head and doing the dive in your head, lots of visualization,” he explained. “The buzzer goes, it’s time to go, can’t really think about anything else, or that’s when you make mistakes. Trust all the reps you put in, and it should be pretty automatic.”
Paul’s senior season this fall has been excellent. He has already received two SEC Diver of the Week awards and helped lead the team to a big win over Alabama – the first win for the LSU men against the Crimson Tide since 2012.
He has already met the NCAA Division I qualifying standard for each diving event and even has the second-best mark in the NCAA for 3-meter.
Paul has not only grown as one of the top divers in the SEC but also as a leader for the 13th-ranked Tigers. He was voted team captain and wears that title with pride.
“It’s a pretty cool feeling that the coaches and other people on the team think of me highly enough to represent the teams,” Paul said. “I get the privilege of being a captain for the swim team as well, so I work with them, and they’re a good group of guys. I keep them on the right track.”
Even with his success in Baton Rouge, Paul set his sights on performing for his home country, Canada. He is a member of the Canadian National Team and loves the opportunity to compete for his home. He recently participated in the World Championships in Singapore and earned a 14th place finish.
“That’s probably the biggest honor I have is to represent my country, and I’ve been privileged enough to represent them on the world stage,” he beamed. “Knowing that I performed, and made the people back home proud is probably the best feeling I can do in this sport.”
Paul’s international journey has been spectacular to witness, as the senior diver looks to etch his name in both Canadian and LSU history.