Alexandre Despatie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alexandre Despatie

Personal information
Born	(1985-06-08) June 8, 1985 (age 40) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	173 cm
Sport
Country	Canada
Event(s)	3 m springboard, 3 m synchro
Partner	Reuben Ross
Former partner(s)	Arturo Miranda, Philippe Comtois
Medal record Men's diving Olympic Games Silver 2004 Athens 3 m springboard Silver 2008 Beijing 3 m springboard World Championships Gold 2003 Barcelona 10 m platform Gold 2005 Montreal 3 m springboard Gold 2005 Montreal 1 m springboard Silver 2001 Fukuoka 10 m platform Silver 2007 Melbourne 3 m springboard Silver 2007 Melbourne Springboard synchro Bronze 2009 Rome Springboard synchro Bronze 2009 Rome 3 m springboard Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur 10 m platform Gold 2002 Manchester 3 m springboard Gold 2002 Manchester 1 m springboard Gold 2006 Melbourne Springboard synchro Gold 2006 Melbourne 3 m springboard Gold 2006 Melbourne 1 m springboard Gold 2010 Delhi 1 m springboard Gold 2010 Delhi 3 m springboard Gold 2010 Delhi Springboard synchro Bronze 2002 Manchester 10 m platform Bronze 2006 Melbourne 10 m platform Pan American Games Gold 2003 S. Domingo 3 m springboard Gold 2003 S. Domingo Springboard synchro Gold 2003 S. Domingo Platform synchro Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro 3 m springboard Bronze 2003 S. Domingo 10 m platform Bronze 2007 Rio de Janeiro 10 m platform Bronze 2007 Rio de Janeiro Springboard synchro

Alexandre Despatie (born June 8, 1985) is a famous Canadian diver and a television host from Laval, Quebec. He was a world champion in diving from 2005 to 2007. He is the first and only diver to have won world titles in all three individual diving events: 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, and 10-meter platform.

Alexandre is also a 37-time Canadian senior diving champion and a nine-time junior champion. He is known as the most successful male diver in Canadian history. He won two silver medals at the Olympic Games and earned eight medals at the World Championships, including three gold medals. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Diving Career Highlights

Early Diving Days

Alexandre Despatie started diving when he was just 5 years old. He learned to dive in his own backyard pool.

He first became well-known at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He won a gold medal in the 10-meter platform event. He was only 13 years old at the time, and his amazing performance included a perfect score of 10s. This achievement was even written down in the Guinness Book Of World Records in 2000.

Olympic and World Success

At the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, Alexandre finished 4th in the 10-meter platform event. He had a chance to compete in the springboard event too, but he decided not to. He hadn't trained for it, and another Canadian diver had to drop out.

In 2001, he won a silver medal at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in the 10-meter platform. Then, in 2003, he won a gold medal at the World Diving Championships in Barcelona, Spain. He set a new record with his last dive, scoring 107.1 points.

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Alexandre won a gold medal in the 3-meter springboard event. After that, he won three more gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Olympic Medals and World Records

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Alexandre won a silver medal in the men's 3-meter springboard competition. Many people expected him to win a medal in the 10-meter platform, but he finished 4th in that event. His silver medal in the 3-meter springboard was a pleasant surprise!

In 2005, at the 2005 World Aquatic Championships in Montreal, he became the World Champion in the 3-meter springboard. He set a world record with 813.60 points. He then won the 1-meter springboard event, setting another world record with 489.69 points. This meant he had won FINA World Titles in both springboard and platform diving.

Alexandre continued his success at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He won gold medals in the 3-meter springboard, 1-meter springboard, and 3-meter synchronized diving with his partner Arturo Miranda. He also earned a bronze medal in the 10-meter platform.

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, Alexandre competed against the world's best divers. He won silver medals in the 3-meter event and the 3-meter synchronized diving with Arturo Miranda.

At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he won another silver medal in the 3-meter springboard event. He finished 5th in the 3-meter synchronized event.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Alexandre won three more gold medals for Canada. These were in the 1-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, and 3-meter synchronized springboard events.

Television Career

Alexandre Despatie announced he was retiring from diving on June 4, 2013. Just two days later, he was announced as a co-host for Breakfast Television's Montreal show. This show started on City Montreal on August 26, 2013.

In 2015, Alexandre left the show. Later, in 2021, he appeared on Chanteurs masqués. This is a Quebec version of the popular TV show The Masked Singer. He performed as "Gâteau" (Cake) and finished 8th overall.

In 2023, Alexandre was a contestant on Big Brother Célébrités. He was the 4th person to be voted off the show, staying for 29 days.

Honors and Awards

In 2018, Alexandre Despatie received the Order of Sport. This honor meant he was officially welcomed into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Alexandre Despatie went to Collège André-Grasset. He has always been interested in acting and making TV shows or movies. He has also supported young divers and helped them achieve their dreams. He has even held diving clinics to give young divers lessons and valuable experience.

In August 2006, Alexandre started filming his first movie in Montreal. It was a teenage romantic comedy called Taking the Plunge (À vos marques... party!). The movie was released in Quebec in March 2007. Alexandre played a small but important role as a diver who was a friend to a young female swimmer. His acting coach said he was a "born actor."

He later started a career in broadcasting. He joined the French-language TV team for Canada's coverage of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. He helped host the opening and closing ceremonies and showed viewers around Granville Island.

See also

In Spanish: Alexandre Despatie para niños

• CAMO Canadian National Training Centre
• Diving
• Philippe Comtois