Richard Degener

Olympic medal record
Men's diving
Competitor for the  United States
Gold	1936 Berlin	3 m springboard
Bronze	1932 Los Angeles	3 m springboard

Richard Kempster Degener (March 14, 1912 – August 24, 1995) was an American diver who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.

In 1932 he won the bronze medal in the 3 metre springboard event. Described as the "Fred Astaire of diving", Degener competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics with University of Michigan classmates, Eddie Tolan and James Cristy.

Four years later he won the gold medal in the 3 metre springboard competition.

Degener introduced the full layout in which his body seemed to soar, lazy-like and graceful in the air. This astonished the diving world and caused a buzz of admiration around the pool. "If there is one thing I've gotten out of sports, it's that I learned to be intense and to do the job."

Degener never lost a diving contest in college during the three years he represented Michigan from 1931 to 1934 as he took the Big Ten and National Collegiate championship. In AAU competition Dick was unbeaten for years as he won 14 national indoor and outdoor diving titles. He won four outdoor AAU Nationals in the high board representing the Detroit Athletic Club, and three NCAA titles for the University of Michigan. At the Indoor AAUs he won five straight three-meter springboard titles and two one-meter titles. Degener later turned pro with the Billy Rose Aquacade when it opened in Cleveland. In 1971, Degener was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

See also

• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

External links

• profile
• International Swimming Hall of Fame
• Michigan Athletes have made Olympic history, Patricia Zacharias and Vivian M Baulch, The Detroit News

Persondata
Name	Degener, Richard
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 14, 1912
Place of birth
Date of death	August 24, 1995
Place of death