Michael Hixon facts for kids
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| Born | July 16, 1994 Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Event(s) | 3 meter springboard, 3 meter springboard synchro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Texas at Austin Indiana University Bloomington |
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| Coached by |
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Medal record
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Michael Hixon (born July 16, 1994) is an American diver. He has won two silver medals at the Summer Olympics. He earned his first silver medal with Sam Dorman in the synchronized 3-meter springboard event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He won his second silver medal with Andrew Capobianco at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the same event.
Contents
About Michael Hixon
Early Life and Education
Michael Hixon was born on July 16, 1994, in Amherst, Massachusetts. His parents are Mandy and David Hixon. He also has an older brother named Matthew.
Both of Michael's parents were coaches in college sports. His dad coached men's basketball at Amherst College. His mom, Mandy, was an amazing diver in college. She helped Michael get interested in diving when he joined her at a practice. Soon after, she became his personal coach. He started competing just two years later!
Growing up, Michael also played basketball, football, and lacrosse. But in high school, he decided to focus only on diving. He graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 2013. He then went to the University of Texas and later transferred to Indiana University.
In 2020, Michael started studying for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. To train for the 2020 Summer Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a volunteer coach for the Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving team. This allowed him to use their pool facilities.
Diving Career Highlights
Junior Competitions (2007–2010)
Michael Hixon started diving at the national level when he was 12 years old. He won the 1-meter competition at the national championships three years in a row! He is a six-time junior U.S. champion. In 2009, he won two bronze medals at the Junior Pan-American Diving Championships in Calgary.
He later teamed up with Kristian Ipsen to win a silver medal. This was at the 2010 FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Tucson, Arizona. They competed in the 3-meter synchronized springboard event.
Youth Olympic Games (2010)
Michael qualified to represent the United States at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 3-meter springboard event at the trials in Guadalajara, Mexico.
At the first-ever Youth Olympics in Singapore, Michael competed in the 3-meter springboard. He started the final round in third place. Even after a few dives, he managed to claim the bronze medal on his final dive. He finished with a score of 554.65 points.
Senior National and International Debut (2011–2015)
In 2011, Michael won the senior men's 1-meter springboard title at the US National Championships. In 2013, he won a silver medal in the 3-meter synchro event with Darian Schmidt. He also competed in his first senior international competition, the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona. There, he finished fifth in the men's 3-meter synchronized event with Troy Dumais.
In 2014, Michael won two titles at the NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships. He won both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events. The next year, in 2015, he earned a bronze medal in the men's 1-meter dive at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan.
Olympic Success (2016)
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Michael Hixon represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He competed in both the 3-meter synchronized and individual 3-meter springboard events. He teamed up with Sam Dorman for the synchronized event just a few months before the Olympics. They won the U.S. trials in their very first competition together!
In the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event, Michael and Sam won the silver medal. They scored 450.21 points. They finished behind the team from Great Britain and ahead of the Chinese pair. In the men's individual 3-meter springboard event, Michael finished 10th.
Road to Tokyo (2019–2021)
In 2019, Michael teamed up with a new partner, Andrew Capobianco. They competed at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. They finished eighth in the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event.
Michael and Andrew were later chosen to represent the United States at the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup. They scored 414.18 points in the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event. This fourth-place finish secured their spot at the Olympics.
Second Olympic Silver (2020 Tokyo Olympics)
In June 2021, Michael Hixon and Andrew Capobianco placed first in the U.S. Olympic diving trials. This qualified them for the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Michael and Andrew won another silver medal! They finished with a score of 444.36 points. They were second only to the Chinese team and ahead of the German team. They started in fifth place after their first two dives. But they quickly moved up to second place and held that spot until the end. Their fifth dive was the best of that round, helping them secure their silver medal.
Personal Life
As of July 2021, Michael Hixon has been in a relationship with Canadian swimmer Kennedy Goss.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Hixon para niños
