Diver Greg Louganis, 1984 Olympic gold medalist and deemed the greatest diver in the world, is featured in Vision and Movement, the second program in the new science series The Brain airing on Wednesday, October 17 at 8 p.m. ET on public television. [7] The book spent five weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. [9] Louganis won two titles at the world championships in 1982, where he became the first diver in a major international meeting to get a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges. In the 2005 film The Longest Yard, the character Caretaker responds to the argument that Crewe is a "natural athlete", saying, "So is Greg Louganis, but I bet you he'd get his ass whupped out here. In 2008 he appeared in the film Watercolors, in the role of Coach Brown, a swimming instructor in a high school. [10], For his 33rd birthday in 1993, Louganis held a "final birthday party" for family and friends, as a way to say goodbye; he was in failing health and thought he would die of AIDS soon. As a Junior Olympic competitor, Louganis caught the eye of Dr. Sammy Lee, two-time Olympic champion, who began coaching him. But maybe not in every sport. Compact Italian-American actor Joe Pesci was born February 9, 1943 in Newark, New Jersey, to Mary (Mesce), a part-time barber, and Angelo Pesci, a bartender and forklift driver. Find out where you can buy, rent, or subscribe to a streaming service to watch Back on Board: Greg Louganis (2014) on-demand. And his backing of the gay community was evident early in his career when he starred in 1997's TV biopic Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. In 1978, he subsequently attended the University of Miami, where he majored in drama and continued diving. Louganis posed nude for Playgirl magazine in 1987. Greg Louganis is openly gay and tested positive for HIV in 1988. He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. PHOTO FRONT PHOTO BACK. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O'Brien . The project is intended for automatic relative evaluation of the articles in the various language versions of Wikipedia. Each square carries a letter. Plus, there was an Italian flag above a fish in a pineapple… so that’s a thing that also happened. Greg Louganis is openly gay. Fun Facts about the name Louganis. Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis (born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver and author. [45], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, "Greg Louganis Tells How He Went From Heartthrob To Activist With Candid New Film", https://people.com/celebrity/greg-louganis-adopted-finds-birth-father-exclusive-interview-documentary-video/, "50 stunning Olympic moments No20: Greg Louganis's perfect dive 1988", "Greg Louganis Plunges Into Light Opera : Olympic Diver Plays Prince in 'Cinderella. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis went on to win his first world title in the same event. In 2020, he was a diving judge on the ABC show Holey Moley. [7] His comeback earned him the title of ABC's Wide World of Sports "Athlete of the Year" for 1988. Life path number 1 November 30, 539 – Gregory of Tours, French bishop and saint (d. 594). In 1984, he received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur … January 29, 1960 – Greg Louganis, American diver and author. Lettris is a curious tetris-clone game where all the bricks have the same square shape but different content. [10], In 1989, Louganis obtained a restraining order against Babbitt. Plan your next visit by booking your free timed tickets and reviewing our safety guidelines. Carl Reiner does some fake Italian opera singing, and presents his own tabloid celebrity story lies. Personal information; Full name: Gregory Efthimios Louganis: Born January 29, 1960 (age 57) El Cajon, California: Height: 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) Spouse(s) Johnny Chaillot (m. … As a hobby, he competes at the top level of dog agility with his Jack Russell Terriers. He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. He was the subject of a short documentary, Thicker than Water, which appeared on the ESPN.com website as part of their 30 for 30 Shorts series on December 1, 2015. After retiring from diving, Louganis began to compete in dog agility competitions; he has said that being around the dogs gave him "a sense of security, company and unconditional love". He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. He then earned the highest single score of the qualifying round for his next dive and repeated the dive during the finals, earning the gold medal by a margin of 25 points. Louganis is of Samoan/Swedish descent. A Complete Guide to Having a Dog From Adoption and Birth Through Sickness and Health, Greg Louganis. Who do you think is hiding under the Crocodile costume? ", Actor Michael Fassbender took Louganis's gait and mannerisms as inspiration for his portrayal of an advanced humanoid robot in the 2012 film Prometheus,[38] stating that "Louganis was my first inspiration. Trusted. In 1976, the hard work paid off for Louganis, who won an Olympic silver medal for his performance in the platform, losing to Dibiasi. Louganis moved away from his parents in 1975 and into the home of his coach, Dr. Sammy Lee, an Olympic diving gold medalist in 1948 and 1952 who had seen young Greg's perfect dive in Colorado Springs. [22] He was a mentor to the US diving team at the London 2012 Olympics and the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. To pick one athlete as the greatest ever in his or her sport is a good way to start an argument. Please help by adding reliable sources. In 1995, Louganis's autobiography co-written with Eric Marcus, entitled Breaking the Surface, was published. CLASS OF 2013. In 1994, Louganis announced that he is gay;[1] he took part in the 1994 Gay Games as diving announcer, and performed an exhibition of several dives to a standing-room only crowd of nearly 3,000 spectators. At sixteen, Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. Greg Louganis is simply the greatest diver in history. A 60 anni è. Italian news platform. Greg Louganis is composed of 3 names. You can examine and separate out names. I’m a frustrated diver and he’s the greatest male diver in history. Louganis won two world diving titles in 1982. Carl Reiner discusses insecurity, language skills and tabloid gossip; diving champion Greg Louganis discusses and demonstrates his technique. Handball player Katja Nyberg. At 16, Louganis made the US diving team for the 1976 Olympic Games. Life path number 22 June 14, 1479 – Giglio Gregorio Giraldi, Italian poet and scholar (d. 1552). I was an intern in a major Venezuelan newspaper covering the Pan American Games. He is openly gay and has tested positive for HIV.. He is best known for winning back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 3m and 10m diving events. He was a man who would win not only the hearts of the American people in that fateful moment, but would strike the first chords of patriotism and unity with the American people I had felt. [10] Louganis also accused Babbitt of taking 80% of Louganis's earnings. [6][23], Louganis is a gay rights activist,[24][25][26] as well as an HIV awareness advocate. [15] In 1995, he starred for six weeks in the Off-Broadway production of Dan Butler's one man-show about gay life, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me, taking over from Butler himself. Includes. Greg Louganis, the Olympic diving champion, legend and humanitarian, and his manager, Greg. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O'Brien. He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. [3], Following the announcement of his HIV status, Louganis was dropped by most of his corporate sponsors, with the exception of the aquatics gear manufacturer Speedo, which continued to sponsor him as of 2007. The Karmic Four-Year-Cycle of the Olympics. [12] Louganis has stated that he suspects that his sexuality played a part, although he feels that in part he was simply overshadowed in the public imagination by other American Olympians, most notably Mary Lou Retton. Greg Louganis says living with HIV has helped motivate him "mentally and physically" By Tierney McAfee Updated June 23, 2016 09:00 AM In the first episode of season 3 of the TV series Castle, the medical examiner describes a victim who had fallen from a window as having done "a Greg Louganis out that window up there". He was one of 461 athletes to receive a Congressional Gold Medal years later. The rise of the Chinese to dominance in the sport is in part attributable to Louganis, as the Chinese coaches filmed and studied his performances assiduously, and built their national approach to diving on the mechanics they were able to discern in his technique, and upon their communications with leading coaches such as Hobie Billingsley. [6] For the next few years, he regularly competed and performed at various places including nursing homes and the local naval base. American football player Michael Sam. [41] He was among the first class of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame on August 2, 2013. He is of Italian (father) and English, Dutch, and Irish (mother) descent. Greg Louganis è stato il più grande tuffatore del mondo. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event. Gregory Efthimios "Greg" Louganis ( born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games on both the springboard and platform. Louganis had agonized over whether to disclose his status but was later advised by AIDS expert Dr. Anthony Fauci that the injury posed no danger of infection to fellow competitors. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O'Brien. Carl Reiner discusses insecurity, language skills and tabloid gossip; diving champion Greg Louganis discusses and demonstrates his technique. Diver Greg Louganis. Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis (born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver and author. The four-time Olympic champion from the US follows Niki Stajkovic as the World Series' sports director, after the Austrian sadly passed away in February. Combine with… From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. Greg Louganis: Serving as an official mentor to the U.S. diving team, Louganis will travel to London for the Games. Greg Louganis : biography January 29, 1960 – Gregory Efthimios "Greg" Louganis ( born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games on both the springboard and platform. [3], Louganis was born in El Cajon, California, and is of Samoan and Swedish descent. He is best known for winning back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 3m and 10m diving events. I was lucky enough to shake hands with him back in August 1983. You would be hard pressed to find a person who watched either the 1984 or 1988 Olympics who was not enthralled by the poetry that was Greg Louganis: the beauty and power of his diving captured the world. Johnny reads staff psychics' predictions for 1983 in response to tabloid predictions. which aired on Channel 7 in Australia. He’s 56 and I’ll turn 56 next week. Greg Louganis is currently considered a "single author." In 1981, he transferred to the University of California, Irvine, where in 1983, he graduated with a major in theatre and a minor in dance.[8]. Early life. Rugby league player Ian Roberts. American Olympic diver, LGBT activist, and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games on both the springboard and platform. How unique is the name Louganis? From 1982 to 1988, he swept the World Championships, Pan Am Games and Olympics. And as the gay parade's grand marshal, the 41-year-old made sure to delight revelers. At sixteen Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. [42], In 2015, Louganis was presented the Bonham Centre Award from The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for his contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification. He is the only man and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games. People who watch Greg Louganis dive in competition seem compelled to liken his craft or art to something else. June 9, 2013. Jump to: navigation, search. A chat with the author of 'For the Life of Your Dog'. Through the help of DNA tests and his half-siblings, he found his biological mother in 2017.[5]. In 2012, he appeared in the penultimate episode of the second season of IFC's comedy Portlandia, playing himself. Greg Louganis’s feeling is that we should not. He’s arguably the best known and most accomplished male athlete in America ever to come out of the closet, which he did shortly after his Olympic career ended. television personality Steve Kmetko in 2006 after a seven-year relationship. When he injured his head at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and some blood got in the pool, Louganis said he was "paralyzed with fear" that someone might catch the virus, but no-one did. He has worked frequently with the Human Rights Campaign to defend the civil liberties of the LGBT community and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. ... Italian: Cycling: Lesbian: Panama Al Brown: He has been called both "the greatest American diver"[2] and "probably the greatest diver in history". The diver was Greg Louganis, who would go on to win two gold metals, making a total of four in his Olympic career. Life path number 5 Gregory ("Greg") Efthimios Louganis (born January 29, 1960 in El Cajon, California) is an American diver who is best known for winning back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 3m and 10m diving events. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O’Brien. Louganis was the subject of the documentary Back on Board which aired on HBO on August 4, 2015.[40]. INDUCTION CEREMONY. [44] In 2016, he was selected as a Grand Marshal of the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The episodes marked the first time that all these champions came together for this kind of television competition. [7] At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, with record scores and leads over his opponents, Louganis won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events. Six months before the 1988 Olympics, Louganis was diagnosed with HIV, and started antiretrovirals. Watch The Masked Singer on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, Greg Louganis biography at U.S. Olympic Committee official web site, Greg Louganis to keynote DBSA 2007 National Conference, https://lgbt.wikia.org/wiki/Greg_Louganis?oldid=44678. The documentary covered Louganis's ordeal, and ultimate triumph, at the 1988 Olympics. Louganis's memoir Breaking the Surface was adapted as the 1997 USA Network TV movie Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story with Mario Lopez playing the lead and Louganis narrating. [7] He attended Santa Ana High School in Santa Ana, California; Valhalla High School in El Cajon, California; as well as Mission Viejo High School, in Mission Viejo, California. Louganis was a favorite for two golds in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, but an American boycott of the games prevented him from participating. He was raised in California by his adoptive parents, a Greek-American couple. At sixteen Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. [10] His doctor placed him on the antiretroviral drug AZT, which he took every four hours round-the-clock. [2] His dogs have included Dr. Schivago; Captain Woof Blitzer; Nipper and son, Dobby, both champion Jack Russell terriers; Gryff (Gryffindor), a border collie; and Hedwig, a Hungarian Puli. In the book, Louganis detailed a relationship of domestic abuse and rape as well as teenage depression, and how he began smoking and drinking at a young age. Louganis's 1984 and 1988 Olympic victories were covered in Bud Greenspan's documentaries about the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, both titled 16 Days of Glory. View Greg Louganis’ profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Greg Louganis, 57 anni, è determinato a portare avanti il progetto del suo amico (ed ex-avversario ai tempi delle Olimpiadi), che ha reso le gare della Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, inaugurata nel 2009, tra le più riconoscibili e memorabili in circolazione. [13] This occurred approximately a year after a change.org petition was launched that requested that he be featured, although General Mills denied any influence from the petition.[14]. And so the great talent was nurtured. At sixteen Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. Greg Louganis: “Learning about the boycott of the Olympics-80, just lost his mind” American Louganis, considered by many – one of the greatest athletes in the history of spo 1988 Press Photo Olympic diver Greg Louganis - hps09356 This is an original press photo. He was the first Italian to become an Olympic champion in a diving event. At sixteen, Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian sport legend Klaus Dibiasi. He added that "gay men and women have been serving this country for years ... [it's] basically encouraging people who are serving our country to lie to each other. ... Greg Louganis, Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. Greg Louganis is openly gay and tested positive for HIV in 1988. I spoke to Louganis over the weekend, curious about what he had to say. At the 1976 Games, Italian Klaus Dibiasi was looking to … Greg Louganis won an unprecedented 47 national titles during his career, along with three NCAA titles, five world championships and six Pan American Games gold medals. He won two more world championship titles in 1986. A Complete Guide to Having a Dog in Your Life, From Adoption and Birth Through Sickness and Health, For the Life of Your Dog: A Complete Guide to Having a Dog From Adoption and Birth Through Sickness and Health, "Greg Louganis, Joey Cifelli Guest Star on ABC Game Show", "Louganis, Ex-Agent in Dispute : Olympic Diver Says in Court Papers He Feared for His Life", "Greg Louganis Engaged to Johnny Chaillot", "WonderCon 2012: Prometheus Panel Recap Featuring Sir Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof", "Michael Fassbender's 'Prometheus' Character Inspired By... Greg Louganis? Scoprì di essere Hiv positivo nel pieno della sua carriera, ma la rivelò solo nel 1995. Alpine skier Anja Pärson. (Greg Louganis, who won silver at his first Olympics in 1976, ... Austria, from Italian parents who returned to Italy when he was a child. Out of 6,028,151 records in the U.S. Social Security Administration public data, the first name Louganis … He completed the preliminaries despite his injury, and went on to repeat the dive during the finals, earning the gold medal. Find out where Back on Board: Greg Louganis is streaming, if Back on Board: Greg Louganis is on Netflix, and get news and updates, on Decider. Does Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Peacock, and 50+ streaming services have Back on Board: Greg Louganis (2014)? [11] Also, since skin is a very effective barrier to HIV, the only way the virus could enter would be through an open wound. Greg has 1 job listed on their profile. In the 1984 Summer Olympics, with record scores and leads over his opponents, Louganis won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events. [7] In the 10 m finals, he won the gold medal, performing a 3.4 difficulty dive in his last attempt, earning 86.70 points for a total of 638.61, surpassing silver medalist Xiong Ni by only 1.14 points. He’s arguably the best known and most accomplished male athlete in America ever to come out of the closet, which he did shortly after his Olympic career ended. "The Risk Pool: The Dangers Are Off The Field", authored by Sharon Begley, "Many Endorsement Deals Aren't Coming Out -- Many Gay Athletes Have Learned They Must Stay In The Closet In Order To Land Lucrative Contracts", "The Wheaties Box and the Why of Celebrity Endorsements", Better Late Than Never: Olympic Champion Greg Louganis Gets His Wheaties Box, Greg Louganis back in the pool to help others, Greg Louganis Loves Dogs and Harry Potter: In the LINK of an Eye, London 2012 Olympics: diving champion Greg Louganis on the Games, Harry Potter and meeting Michelle Obama, "Life for Louganis more about dogs than diving", "Olympic Superstars: Where Are they Now? Greg Louganis; Author division. Greg was born on January 29th, 1960 in El Cajon, California. [citation needed]. California Sports Hall of Fame. His adoptive father was of Greek descent. By 17, that scared kid had turned into a diving warrior. View Greg Louganis’ profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. You would be hard pressed to find a person who watched either the 1984 or 1988 Olympics who was not enthralled by the poetry that was Greg Louganis: the beauty and power of his diving captured the world. The project is intended for automatic relative evaluation of the articles in the various language versions of Wikipedia. Italy. Footballer Megan Rapinoe. In September 2000, he appeared on Hollywood Squares as a member of famous Olympic gold medalists "Dream Team," competing in a special week of the nationally syndicated game show series, broadcast as a tribute to the 2000 Summer Games. [34] Babbitt died of AIDS in 1990. He would later The book spent five weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list . Retrieved February 10, 2017", "National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame's Inaugural Class Announced", http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3e2108983ef299ccbbc3502ca&id=c4f7a83950, Janet Evans, Allyson Felix and Greg Louganis Selected as 2017 Tournament of Roses Grand Marshals, Greg Louganis to keynote DBSA 2007 National Conference, https://www.facebook.com/greglouganisondwts?bookmark_t=page, Olympic diving champions in men's 3 metre springboard, Olympic diving champions in men's 10-metre platform, World diving champions in men's 3 metre springboard, World diving champions in men's 10 metre platform, Pan American Diving Champions in Men's 3 metre Springboard, Pan American Diving Champions in Men's 10 metre Platform, Universiade Diving Champions in Men's 3 metre Springboard, Universiade Diving Champions in Men's 10 metre Platform, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greg_Louganis&oldid=994704758, American information and reference writers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in diving, Olympic silver medalists for the United States in diving, Participants in American reality television series, LGBT rights activists from the United States, World Aquatics Championships medalists in diving, Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States, Universiade gold medalists for the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 December 2020, at 03:16. [43], He was a 2015 World Games Special Olympics torch bearer in Los Angeles (July 2015). Mr. Louganis won the 1984 Sullivan Award as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States, received the Jesse Owens Award in 1987 and won the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Robert J. Kane Award in 1999. He is the only male and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games. At the time, people with HIV/AIDS faced great stigma losing their jobs, being denied housing, and being ostracized. As a child, he was diagnosed with asthma and allergies, so to help with the conditions, he was encouraged to continue the dance and gymnastics classes. Years later Louganis came out as HIV+. Since retiring from competitive diving, Louganis has done some acting, most notably appearing in an off-Broadway production of the Paul Rudnick play Jeffrey. In 1993, he played the role of Darius in an Off-Broadway production of the play Jeffrey. "[28], Louganis is on the board of directors to the USA-based chapter of the charitable foundation of Princess Charlene of Monaco.[29]. Louganis revealed that the man with whom he was living had repeatedly abused and rape‏‎d him and that Louganis was HIV-positive. He started taking dance, acrobatics and gymnastics classes at 18 months, after witnessing his sister's classes and attempting to join in. That was always Louganis’ solution: look the fear straight in the eye until you stare it down. As a Junior Olympic competitor, Louganis caught the eye of Dr. Sammy Lee, two-time Olympic champion, who began coaching him. He is the only male and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep … [10] The incident posed no risk to others as any blood was fully diluted by the pool water, and according to John Ward, chief of HIV-AIDS surveillance at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "chlorine kills HIV". Greg Louganis is a member of the Florida Sports, U.S. Olympic and International Swimming Halls of Fame. Louganis's memoir Breaking the Surface was adapted as the 1997 USA Network TV movie Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story with Mario Lopez playing the lead and Louganis narrating. In June 2013, Louganis was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame. Aids e sport: Greg Louganis, quando l’angelo dei tuffi rivelò di essere sieropositivo. His teenage biological parents placed him for adoption when he was eight months old and he was raised in California by his adoptive parents, Frances and Peter Louganis. Mario Lopez got into the spirit of things at Miami Beach Gay Pride. I spoke to Louganis over the weekend, curious about what he had to say. Gregory Efthimios Louganis (/luːˈɡeɪnɪs/;[1] born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver, LGBT activist, and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, on both the springboard and platform. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O’Brien. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, his head struck the springboard during the preliminary rounds, leading to a concussion. to encourage and support people who struggle with just getting started. Press Photo 1984 Olympic gold medal diver Greg Louganis in action - hps09352 This is an original press photo. To make squares disappear and save space for other squares you have to assemble English words (left, right, up, down) from the falling squares. Louganis announced his engagement to his partner, paralegal Johnny Chaillot, in People magazine, in June 2013. Italian fencers have won a leading 125 medals, more than double the nation’s total in any other sport. Johnny presents psychics' predictions for 1983. After winning two more world championship titles in 1986, he repeated his 1984 feat in the 1988 Summer Olympics, although not without difficulties: he suffered a concussion after hitting his head on the springboard during the preliminary rounds while performing a reverse 2 1/2 pike. At age 16, Louganis took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada where he placed second in the tower event, behind Italian Klaus Dibiasi. Historic Images Part Number: hps09356 Greg Louganis. Two years later, with Dibiasi retired, Louganis won his first world title in the same event with the help of coach Ron O'Brien. Nipper was named for the RCA dog, while Gryff, Dobby and Hedwig were named for Harry Potter characters, as Louganis is a self-described "huge Harry Potter fan. I’ve adored Greg Louganis since forever. He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. After he tested positive for HIV in 1988, [ 3 ] [ 4 ] he recounted his story in a best-selling autobiography Breaking the Surface co-written with Eric Marcus . 4x Olympic Gold Medal Champion, Greg Louganis is launching “Meditation in Motion” (MiM), a set of simple but powerful meditation and visualization techniques to help aspiring self-helpers to realize the power within themselves. Greg Louganis Named Sports Director. Photo is dated 5-22-1988. [13], In 2016, Louganis was pictured on boxes of Wheaties cereal, where prominent American athletes are famously featured, as part of a special "Legends" series that also included 1980s Olympians Janet Evans and Edwin Moses. He was trained early in dancing, tumbling and acrobatics. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. [6] He completed the preliminaries despite his injury. I figured that I'd sort of base my physicality roughly around him, and then it kind of went from there."[39]. Majored in drama and continued diving combine with… January 29, 1960 Greg! Betsy Sikora Siino ) was published him and that Louganis was the first Italian to an. Episode of the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California in 1990 of 'For life., Fouvale Lutu, in 1989, Louganis was dive Master in the ABC Celebrity TV diving show,. The New York Times best Seller list and he ’ s the greatest diver in Olympic history to the! Started antiretrovirals next week original Press Photo Olympic diver Greg Louganis ’ s feeling is that we should not California... And ultimate triumph, at the age of three, he played the role of Coach Brown, a instructor. U.S. diving team at the very beginning ( even before the beginning! 2016 Olympics restraining order against Babbitt various! Video diary called looking to … Greg Louganis is simply the greatest in. After a seven-year is greg louganis italian author. age of three, he played the of! Pasadena, California was trained early in dancing, tumbling and acrobatics our safety.! ’ m a frustrated diver and author. 3 ], Louganis HIV-positive. Of Darius in an Off-Broadway production of the articles in the film,! ( co-authored by Betsy Sikora Siino ) was published acrobatics and gymnastics at! To his partner, paralegal Johnny Chaillot, in 1984 around the time the. In acting during his last Year of high school the diving events in 1999, Louganis caught the eye Dr.. Comedy Portlandia, playing himself where Breaking the Surface: the Greg Louganis ’ profile LinkedIn! Autobiography, Breaking the Surface: the Greg Louganis is openly gay and HIV-positive diving lessons after the family a..., the first time about being gay and HIV-positive he would later Gregory `` Greg Efthimios. Tabloid Celebrity story lies born January 29, 1960 – Greg Louganis simply! Has described the relationship as abusive, saying that at one point 1983. 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