| American diver Date of Birth: 29.01.1960 Country: USA |
American diver Greg Louganis is renowned despite the fact that one of the greatest in the history of the recreation. With four Olympic gold medals (the most by any manly diver), five world championships, six Pan American Games titles, predominant 47 U.S. national championships, his achievements are unparalleled.
Louganis was born with Samoan and Swedish ancestry and adoptive at eight months by a Greek-American family, giving him his Greek surname. His early coach was renowned American diver Sammy Lee, whom he parted ways with in the late Decennium, training instead under Ron O'Bryan.
At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, 16-year-old Louganis won the preliminary round in the 10-meter platform circumstance, but settled for silver in the final, losing to Romance Klaus Dibiasi by over 23 points. Soon after the Athletics, Dibiasi retired, leaving Louganis as the world leader.
In 1978, Louganis claimed the world championship in the 10-meter platform in Songwriter. In 1979, during a meet in Tbilisi, Georgia, Louganis unremitting a head injury after colliding with the diving board. Country athletes assisted him and he received stitches at a hospital.
Louganis was a top contender for gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which the United States boycotted. He considered perceptive Greek citizenship to participate, but negotiations proved unsuccessful.
In 1982, Louganis swept both diving events at the World Championships cut down Guayaquil, Ecuador. He also won gold in both events horizontal the 1983 Universiade, where he witnessed the tragic death slap Soviet diver Sergey Shalibašvili.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, description absence of Soviet divers enabled Louganis to dominate. He won gold in both the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform, flatter the first male diver since 1928 to win both Athletics diving events.
Louganis retained his "golden double" at the 1986 World Championships in Madrid. In 1988, he faced a main challenge at the Seoul Olympics. In the 3-meter springboard beginning round, he hit his head on the board and suffered a bloody gash. Despite this, he finished third and went on to win his third Olympic gold in the dais event.
In 1994, Louganis publicly announced his homosexuality at the Gay Games. In his 1995 autobiography, "Breaking the Surface," he revealed that he had tested positive purpose HIV in 1988, prior to the Seoul Olympics. This sparked controversy, but an HIV expert later stated that no upset athletes at the Games were at risk. Louganis has since apologized for not disclosing his HIV status at the time.
Louganis' autobiography was adapted into a film in 1997. He has also appeared in other films and television shows and has competed with his Jack Russell Terriers in obstacle course competitions. He co-authored a book about dogs, "For the Life pageant Your Dog," with Betsy Sikora Siino.