Greg Louganis' Diving Techniques: What Made Him So Exceptional?
A Greg Louganis dive looked different from everyone else's: a late take-off, a held tuck and an entry that barely moved the water. Here is how each piece worked.
Born in 1960, he won gold on both diving events at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and now hosts his own podcast. Greg Louganis Is Alive is an unofficial fan site that covers his record, his life story and his show.
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In Los Angeles in 1984 he won gold on the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform. Seoul in 1988 brought the same double, which makes him the only man to sweep both diving events at two Games in a row. Springboard divers launch from a flexible board 3 meters up. Platform divers drop from a fixed tower 10 meters up.
He hit his head on the board in a qualifying round at Seoul in 1988 and still went on to win gold.
At the 1982 World Championships he became the first diver to earn a 10 from all seven judges at a major international meeting.

Retiring after Seoul did not end his public life. He took up acting, wrote his own story and spoke out on HIV awareness and LGBTQ+ rights.
He studied drama at UC Irvine and went on to Off-Broadway roles and film work.
He is a number one New York Times bestselling author and his memoir Breaking the Surface tells his own story.
Greg Louganis Is Alive covers the podcast he hosts, the interviews he has given elsewhere and the Olympic record behind his name.
Hear the show he hosts on mental health, human potential and the limits people set for themselves.
Press PlayHe has talked peak performance, life after the Olympics and giving back on Thirty Minute Mentors, Fostering Change and Death, Sex & Money.
Browse the InterviewsEvery medal and milestone from Montreal in 1976 to Seoul in 1988.
Trace the CareerFour golds, five medals, 47 national titles and a first Olympic podium at 16. Every page on the site builds on these figures.
Greg Louganis Is Alive is an unofficial fan site with no affiliation to Greg Louganis. Its facts come from published sources including Britannica, the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum and NPR.
Read His Own Words
A Greg Louganis dive looked different from everyone else's: a late take-off, a held tuck and an entry that barely moved the water. Here is how each piece worked.
Greg Louganis Is Alive is also the name of the show he hosts. Each week he takes on mental health, human potential and the limits people place on themselves, with guests from visionaries to everyday heroes.
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