Gao Min (diver)

Gao Min (Chinese: 高敏; born September 7, 1970) is a female Chinese diver who won gold medals in the springboard event of the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games.

Diving career

Born in Zigong, Sichuan, Gao learned how to swim at the age of four. At nine, she started gymnastics training, before she was spotted by a diving coach and persuaded to switch to compete in diving. She won her first major international competition - on the 3-meter springboard - in the World Championships in 1986. Nicknamed the "Diving Queen", Gao is one of the most dominant divers in the history of the sport. Undefeated in world competition on the 3-meter springboard between 1986 and 1992 (including Olympic Games gold medals both in 1988 in Seoul and 1992 in Barcelona).She tied the legendary Greg Louganis for receiving the most international awards on one board. She is also the only female diver to surpass the 600-points mark in the event; and she did it three times.

Gao was chosen as the World's Best Diver of the Year by the U.S. magazine "Swimming World" from 1987 to 1989 and the Woman's World Springboard Diver of the Year for a record seven consecutive years from 1986 to 1992.

In 1998, Gao was inducted into The International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Post-diving career

Gao coached in Edmonton, Alberta for many years for the Edmonton Kinsmen Diving club, producing many national team divers and helping to further the sport of diving in Canada.

In 2003 Gao was inducted into the Women's Sports Hall Of Fame.

In 2005 Gao left Canada to return to China to promote her autobiography. The book is currently only available in Chinese, but it will be available in English in early 2007.

ee also

* List of divers

References

* [http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ga/gao-min-1.html sports-reference]
* [http://ishof.org/honorees/98/98gmin.html International swimming hall of fame]
* [http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Athletes/G/Gao-Min.aspx The International Women's Sports Hall of Fame]