Greg Louganis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Greg Louganis

Louganis in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Gregory Efthimios Louganis
Born	(1960-01-29) January 29, 1960 (age 65) El Cajon, California, U.S.
Occupation	Author, Actor, Public Speaker, Athlete
Height	5 ft 9 in
Spouse(s)	Johnny Chaillot ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2022)​
Other interests	Dog Agility, LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Sustainability
Sport
Country	United States
Event(s)	Diving: 3 m, 10 m
College team	University of Miami University of California, Irvine
Club	Mission Viejo
Coached by	Ron O'Brien (1978-1988)
Retired	1988
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul 3m Springboard Gold 1988 Seoul 10m Platform Gold 1984 Los Angeles 3m Springboard Gold 1984 Los Angeles 10m Platform Silver 1976 Montreal 10m Platform World Championships Gold 1986 Madrid 3m Springboard Gold 1986 Madrid 10m Platform Gold 1982 Guayaquil 3m Springboard Gold 1982 Guayaquil 10m Platform Gold 1978 West Berlin 10m Platform Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis 3m Springboard Gold 1987 Indianapolis 10m Platform Gold 1983 Caracas 3m Springboard Gold 1983 Caracas 10m Platform Gold 1979 San Juan 3m Springboard Gold 1979 San Juan 10m Platform Summer Universiade Gold 1983 Edmonton 3m Springboard Gold 1983 Edmonton 10m Platform

Gregory Efthimios Louganis (born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver. He won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics. He is famous for winning both the springboard and platform diving events in two Olympic Games in a row. Many people call him "the greatest American diver" and even "the greatest diver in history."

Early Life and Education

Greg Louganis was born in El Cajon, California. His biological parents placed him for adoption when he was eight months old. He was raised in California by his adoptive parents, Frances and Peter Louganis.

Greg started taking dance, acrobatics, and gymnastics classes very early, at just 18 months old. By age three, he was practicing daily and performing in public. He often competed and performed in places like nursing homes.

As a child, Greg had asthma and allergies. To help with these conditions, he continued his dance and gymnastics. He also started trampolining. At age nine, he began diving lessons after his family got a swimming pool.

He attended several high schools in California. Later, in 1978, he went to the University of Miami. There, he studied drama and kept diving. In 1981, he moved to the University of California, Irvine. He graduated in 1983 with a degree in theatre and a minor in dance.

Diving Career Highlights

As a young competitor, Greg Louganis caught the attention of Sammy Lee. Sammy Lee was a two-time Olympic champion who became Greg's coach. At 16, Greg competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He earned a silver medal in the tower event.

Two years later, Greg won his first world title in the same event. This was with the help of his coach, Ron O'Brien.

Greg was expected to win two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. However, the United States decided not to participate in those games. This prevented him from competing. Years later, he received a special Congressional Gold Medal.

In 1982, Greg won two world championship titles. He was the first diver in a major international competition to receive a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Greg won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events. He set record scores and had big leads over his opponents.

He continued his success, winning two more world championship titles in 1986.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics Incident

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, something unexpected happened. During the first round, Greg hit his head on the springboard. This caused a concussion. Despite his injury, he bravely finished the qualifying rounds.

For his next dive, he earned the highest score of the round. He then repeated this dive in the finals. He won the gold medal by a large margin. In the 10-meter platform finals, he won another gold medal. He performed a very difficult dive on his last attempt. His amazing comeback earned him the title of "Athlete of the Year" for 1988.

After the incident, there were questions about the safety of the pool. Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases confirmed there was no risk to others. They explained that any blood would be greatly diluted by the pool water. Also, chlorine in the pool kills viruses. Skin is also a strong barrier, so the virus could only enter through an open wound.

Endorsement Deals and Recognition

After his Olympic victories in 1984 and 1988, Greg Louganis had few major endorsement deals. His biggest partnership was with Speedo, which lasted until 2007.

In 2016, Greg was featured on boxes of Wheaties cereal. This cereal famously features prominent American athletes. He was part of a special "Legends" series.

Coaching and Mentoring

In November 2010, Greg Louganis started coaching divers. He worked with people of all ages and skill levels in California.

He also served as a mentor for the U.S. diving team. He helped them prepare for the London 2012 Olympics and the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Media and Entertainment Career

Greg Louganis studied theater in college. In the late 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in several movies. One of these was Touch Me in 1997.

In 1993, he played a role in an Off-Broadway play called Jeffrey. In 1995, he starred in another Off-Broadway show. He played 14 different characters in that play.

In 2008, he appeared in the film Watercolors. He played Coach Brown, a swimming instructor. In 2012, he appeared as himself in the TV comedy series Portlandia.

Television Appearances

In September 2000, Greg appeared on Hollywood Squares. He was part of a "Dream Team" of famous Olympic gold medalists.

In 2013, Greg was a Dive Master on the celebrity diving show Splash in the U.S. He was also a diving judge on Celebrity Splash! in Australia.

In 2020, he returned as a diving judge for the second season of the ABC show Holey Moley.

Books and Video Diary

In 1996, Greg Louganis shared his life story in a popular book called Breaking the Surface. He wrote it with Eric Marcus. The book was a bestseller for five weeks.

In 1998, Greg released a video diary called Looking to the Light. This video continued his story from where his book left off.

In 1999, he also co-wrote a book about caring for dogs. It was titled For the Life of Your Dog.

Dog Agility Competitions

After he retired from diving, Greg Louganis started competing in dog agility events. He said that being around dogs gave him "a sense of security, company and unconditional love."

He has had several dogs. Some of his dogs include Dr. Schivago, Captain Woof Blitzer, and champion Jack Russell terriers named Nipper and Dobby. He also has a border collie named Gryff and a Hungarian Pumi named Hedwig. Many of his dogs are named after characters from the Harry Potter books, as Greg is a big fan.

Advocacy and Community Work

Louganis in 2016 at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary for the passage of the Ryan White CARE Act, which improved the quality and availability of healthcare for individuals and families with HIV/AIDS

Greg Louganis is a strong supporter of equal rights for all people. He also works to raise awareness about health conditions. He has often worked with the Human Rights Campaign. This group defends the civil liberties of all communities and people facing health challenges.

In 2010, Greg spoke about a policy called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This policy affected people serving in the military. He called it "absurd" and "unconstitutional." He felt it forced people to hide who they were. He said that "men and women have been serving this country for years."

Greg is also on the board of directors for the U.S. branch of Princess Charlene of Monaco's charitable foundation.

In 2023, Greg decided to auction three of his five Olympic medals. He did this to help fund the Damien Center. This center is Indiana's oldest and largest support center for people with certain health conditions. He said the medals are already part of history. By sharing them, he hopes to help the center grow and thrive.

Awards and Honors

Azerbaijani postage stamp, 1996

• In 1984, Greg Louganis received the James E. Sullivan Award. This award is given to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
• In 1988, he was named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports.
• In 1989, he was nominated for "Best Male Athlete" by the Kids' Choice Awards.
• In 1991, Greg was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
• In June 2013, he was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame. He was also among the first group of people inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame in August 2013.
• In July 2015, he was a torch bearer for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
• In January 2017, he was a Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

Filmography

• Dirty Laundry (1987) as Larry
• Inside Out III (1992) as Max
• D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) as himself
• It's My Party (1996) as Dan Zuma
• Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997)
• Touch Me (1997) as David
• Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (episode: "Broken Record") (1997 TV movie) as Coach Hill
• Watercolors (2008) as Coach Brown
• 30 for 30: "Tim Richmond: To the Limit" (2010)
• Portlandia, season 2, episode 9 (2012) as himself
• Splash (2013) as himself
• Celebrity Splash! (2013) as himself
• Back on Board: Greg Louganis (2014)
• Sabre Dance (2015) as Salvador Dalí
• Entourage (2015) as a fictional version of himself
• 30 for 30: Thicker than Water (2015)

See also

In Spanish: Greg Louganis para niños

• World Fit