Laura Wilkinson facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Laura Ann Wilkinson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 17, 1977 Houston, Texas |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 3m, 3m synchro, 10m, 10m synchro | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Woodlands Diving Team | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Laura Ann Wilkinson (born November 17, 1977, in Houston, Texas) is an American diver. She has competed in three Olympic Games and won an Olympic gold medal. Laura is the first woman to win the three biggest diving world titles. She stopped competing in 2008. After nine years, she returned to diving in 2017 and placed second at a national competition. She trained for her fourth Olympic Games in 2021 but did not make the team.
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Laura Wilkinson's Early Life and Diving Journey
Laura Wilkinson was born and grew up in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Ed and Linda Wilkinson. She went to Klein High School in Houston. Later, she attended the University of Texas.
As a child, Laura was a gymnast. However, she grew too tall during her teenage years. This made it hard for her to continue gymnastics. So, she decided to try diving instead.
When she first started diving, some people doubted her. A teacher told her she was too old to begin a new sport. She was even removed from her high school team. They thought she was not good enough. But Laura did not give up on her dream.
She graduated from the University of Texas in 2001. She studied public relations there. While on a scholarship, she chose to focus on her dream. She wanted to become an Olympian. She trained hard in The Woodlands, Texas.
How Laura Started Diving
Laura's interest in diving began at a gym. She was swimming in the pool. She saw a young diver perform an amazing dive. This inspired her to try it herself.
She did not try a dive from the 10-meter platform until she was 15. This is a very high platform. She soon joined the U.S. National Team in 1995.
Laura Wilkinson's Olympic Career
Laura Wilkinson has competed in several Olympic Games. She has achieved great success in diving.
Winning Gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
Six months before the 2000 Summer Olympics, Laura hurt her foot badly. This injury stopped her from diving for a few months. She used a special technique called visualization. She imagined herself doing perfect dives.
She was not fully healed when she qualified for the Olympics. During the platform finals, she was still in pain. After her first dive, she was in eighth place. But she kept going. She ended up winning the gold medal! She was the first American woman to win gold in platform diving since 1964.
Competing in the 2004 Athens Olympics
Laura finished in fifth place at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Even though she did not win a medal, she still made an impact. Other divers started using her techniques. Many began their dives with a handstand, just like she did.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics and Retirement
On June 26, 2008, Laura qualified for the U.S. Olympic Diving Team. She placed first in the trials. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she finished 9th in the Women's 10m platform final. After this competition, she announced her retirement from diving. She said it would be her last event.
Her Return for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
In 2017, Laura decided to return to diving. This was nine years after she retired. She had spent five years working as a diving analyst for NBC Sports. She placed second at the U.S. Nationals.
She trained full-time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. These Games were delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This would have been her fourth Olympic appearance. However, she did not qualify for the team this time.
Laura Wilkinson's Life Outside of Diving
When Laura is not diving, she works for NBC Sports. She is a diving analyst. This means she helps explain the dives during competitions. She worked at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. She will also be a commentator for individual events at the Paris 2024 Games.
Her Family Life
Laura is married to Eriek Hulseman. They have four children. Their first child, a girl named Arella Joy, was born on May 11, 2011. In December 2012, they adopted a baby girl from China named Zoe. Laura gave birth to a son, Zadok, in January 2014. Their fourth child, Dakaia, joined the family from Ethiopia in March 2018.
Laura also travels around the country. She speaks to girls at The Revolve Tour. This is a Christian conference for girls. In 2018, she had surgery on her neck. This was to fix damage to discs from her diving career.
