Los Angeles August 1984, Games of the XXIII Olympiad. Gregory LOUGANIS of the United States executes one of his dives during the men's individual platform event. Credit: Getty Images/DUFFY TonyOther names:
LOUGANIS, Gregory Efthimios
LOUGANIS, Greg
Born: 29 January 1960
Birthplace: San Diego (United States)
Nationality: United States
Sport: Aquatics
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Montreal 1976
Los Angeles 1984
Seoul 1988
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 4
Silver: 1
Other results:
World Championships
Gold: 5 (78, 82, 86)
The Most Successful Male Diver
American Greg Louganis is considered the greatest diver of all time. After winning Olympic silver in the platform in 1976 as a 16-year-old, he missed the 1980 Games because of the boycott but returned to take the springboard-platform double in both 1984 and 1988. His 1988 springboard victory was the stuff of high drama, when he qualified despite striking the board with his head on the next-to-last qualifying dive. Louganis also won both titles at the World Championships of 1982 and 1986, having earlier won the platform in 1978. It is highly probable that the 1980 boycott prevented Louganis from winning the diving double at three consecutive Olympics, an unprecedented feat. Of Samoan and European descent, he studied classical dance for many years and this training provided the basis for the elegance and artistry of his performances. His superiority over his contemporaries was considerable and he held many records for the highest marks ever achieved in competition. Sadly, in the early 1990s, Louganis announced that he was HIV-positive, and had actually been so at the time of the 1988 Olympics when he struck his head on the springboard.
