- Michael Hixon
-
Michael Hixon Country represented 
United StatesBorn July 16, 1994 [1]
Amherst, Massachusetts[2]Height 170 centimetres (5 ft 7 in) Event(s) 3 meter springboard, 3 meter springboard synchro Synchro partner Kristian Ipsen Medal recordCompetitor for United StatesMen's diving Youth Olympic Games Bronze 2010 Singapore 3 meter FINA World Junior Diving Championships Silver 2010 Tucson 3 meter synchro Michael Hixon is a diver who represents the United States in international competition. He competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore, winning bronze in the 3 meter springboard event, and is a world junior silver medalist in the synchronized 3 meter springboard alongside partner Kristian Ipsen.
Contents
Family and personal life
Hixon was born on July 16, 1994, in Amherst, Massachusetts.[2] Hixon's parents both coach in American collegiate sports; his mother Mandy Hixon, who is also his personal coach, is the diving coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and used to coach at Amherst College and Williams College,[3] while his father Dave Hixon has been the basketball head coach at Amherst College since 1977,[4] winning the 2007 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament.[5]
Hixon studies at Amherst Regional High School.[6] Hixon's mother was also one of the United States' three coaches at the 2010 FINA Junior World Championships.[7]
Diving
Hixon began diving at age seven,[2] and started entering competitions two years later.[3] He began diving at the national level when he was 12 and has won the 1-meter competition at the national championships three years running.[3] Hixon is a six-time junior U.S. champion,[8] and won two bronze medals, in the 1 meter and 3 meter events, at the 2009 Junior Pan-American Diving Championships in Calgary.[3] He won in the 3 meter springboard event at a national selection camp and qualified for Youth Olympic trials in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he won a bronze medal and thus secured a spot to represent the United States at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.[9] At that event, Hixon finished behind Qiu Bo of China and Oleksandr Bondar of Ukraine,[9] the same two divers who would go on to win gold and silver at the Youth Olympics.[6]
Hixon subsequently paired with Kristian Ipsen to win a silver at the 2010 FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Tucson, Arizona in the 3 meter synchronized springboard event,[10] but only managed a tenth place finish in the 3 meter solo event.[11]
Hixon has stated that his aim is to qualify for and compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3]
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
By finishing third at the Americas-region qualifying event in Mexico, Hixon qualified for the first-ever Youth Olympics in the 3 meter springboard event.
The event in Singapore consisted of a 15-man preliminary round and an eight-man final round. After the ten-dive preliminary round, Hixon carried over enough points into the final to begin the final round in third.[12] Although he was sixth after his first dive in the final[13] and fourth heading into his final dive, a poor dive by Italy's Giovanni Tocci allowed Hixon to claim bronze on his final dive,[12] finishing with a score of 554.65 points.[14]
Championships
At the 2011 US National Championships, Hixon captured the senior men 1-meter springboard title at the UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles.[15]
References
- ^ "Athlete Biography: HIXON Michael". Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee. August 2010. http://gis.singapore2010.sg/RINF-app/generator/cat/bio/lan/ENG/noc/USA/cid/2500338/participantShort.xml. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Michael Hixon". United States Olympic Committee. http://youtholympicgames.teamusa.org/athletes/michael-hixon. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Bill Wells (March 27, 2010). "Amherst teenage diver puts 2016 Summer Games on radar". MassLive.com. http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/03/amherst_teenage_diver_puts_201.html. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Staff | Amherst College". Amherst College. https://www.amherst.edu/athletics/teams/winter/basketball-m/wmbc_summer_camp/staff. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Coaching Staff | Amherst College". Amherst College. https://www.amherst.edu/athletics/teams/winter/basketball-m/coaches. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Jason Remillard (August 23, 2010). "Amherst's Michael Hixon captures bronze medal in diving at Youth Olympic Games". The Republican. http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/08/amhersts_michael_hixon_capture.html. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ USA Diving (August 31, 2010). "FINA World Junior Diving Championships set for September 1–6". http://www.usadiving.org/05redesign/main/news_08_31_10.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ USA Diving (February 4, 2010). "Four divers earn the right to compete in Youth Olympic Games qualifer". http://www.usadiving.org/05redesign/main/news_02_04_10.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b USA Diving (March 14, 2010). "Hixon, Lenz headed to Youth Olympic Games after winning bronze at qualifier". http://www.usadiving.org/05redesign/main/news_03_12_10.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ USA Diving (September 2, 2010). "Team USA adds two more medals at FINA World Junior Diving Championships". http://www.usadiving.org/05redesign/main/news_09_02_10.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "18th FINA Junior Diving World Championships Results". USA Diving. https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/eventresultsext.php?meetnum=742&eventnum=1430&eventtype=9. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Pedro Adreg. "YOG Singapore 2010, Day 9: Bo Qiu earns second gold for China, Tom Daley (GBR) finishes ninth". FINA. http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1635:yog-singapore-2010-day-8-bo-qiu-earns-second-gold-for-china-tom-daley-gbr-finishes-ninth&catid=205:youth-olympic-games&Itemid=515. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ Lisa Ramsperger (August 22, 2010). "Bronze for Hixon". United States Olympic Committee. http://youtholympicgames.teamusa.org/news/2010/08/22/bronze-for-hixon/38121. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ Tan Yo-Hinn (August 23, 2010). "Qiu Bo lights up Toa Payoh". TODAYonline. http://www.todayonline.com/YOG/EDC100823-0000072/Qiu-Bo-lights-up-Toa-Payoh. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ Beth Harris, Hixon wins 1-meter title at US diving nationals, Associated Press via Atlanta Journal Constitution, August 12, 2011
Categories:- Living people
- 1994 births
- American divers
- Divers at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
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