BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Spectators may be curious about why divers always take a shower after each dive.

    After finishing a dive, competitors are seen to swim to a ladder, climb out of the pool and head immediately to a bank of showers adjacent to the diving board.

    Sometimes, they wait to receive their score in the course of shower.

    According to Chinese Olympic champion Tian Liang, they do so to keep their muscles warm after getting out of the pool.

    There is usually a temperature difference between the pool water and the air. The pool is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with the air normally between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

    This difference can cause muscle tightness. To prevent this, divers warm up either in a shower or a hot tub.