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George Sheldon (diver)
George Herbert Sheldon (May 17, 1874 – November 25, 1907) was an American diver who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics and won the inaugural platform diving competition. Sheldon was an eye doctor from St. Louis, MO, who had studied at the Barnes Medical College in St. Louis, MO. Through most of his life he had suffered from a weak heart which would eventually result in his death. In the 1904 Olympics he won the gold medal in platform diving but faced controversy as his victory was contested by the Germans. The German competitors were more like stunt divers which was entertaining but on entry into the water they often landed on their bellies or legs, while the American team concentrated more on the entry rather than ''fancy diving''. It was not until a week later that the Games director James E. Sullivan rejected the protests and declared Sheldon the winner. A year later in 1905, Sheldon won the National AAU diving championships, which was the first using the diving ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diving (sport)
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, usually while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime. Competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness. Some professional divers were originally gymnasts or dancers as both the sports have similar characteristics to diving. Dmitri Sautin holds the record for most Olympic diving medals won, by winning eight medals in total between 1992 and 2008. History Plunging Although diving has been a popular pastime across the world since ancient times, the first modern diving competitions were held in England in the 1880s. The exact origins of the sport are unclear, though it likely derives from the act of diving at the start of swimming races.Wilson, William ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
