Bob Webster
Encyclopedia
Robert David Webster (born October 25, 1938) is an American
former diving
champion who won gold medal
s at both the 1960
and 1964 Olympic games
in the 10-meter platform
event. He also won a gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games
and finished first in every platform diving event he entered from 1960 to 1964. He later became a diving coach at the University of Minnesota
, Princeton University
, and the University of Alabama
. He has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
.
, he won his first collegiate diving title for Santa Ana Junior College
, a school that did not have a pool. While at Santa Ana, Webster trained off a board in Olympic champion Sammy Lee
's backyard sand pit. In 1957, Webster led the Santa Ana Dons to second and third place finishes at the conference and state swimming and diving competitions. Sammy Lee was Webster's swimming coach at Santa Ana. Lee said, "Diving-wise, he was the greatest competitor I've ever coached. He really held up under competition, as both of his Olympic medals were by narrow margins. I told him early on that he could be an Olympic champion and Bob finally said, 'If you're serious, I'm serious.' I wrote to the University of Michigan and told them I had the next Olympic champion right here at Santa Ana College. They offered him a scholarship. The rest is history."
Webster then transferred to the University of Michigan
where he was coached by Dick Kimball
and Bruce Harlan
. He won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics with a score of 165.56 on September 2, 1960. His 1960 score on the platform was an Olympic record that remained unbroken when the scoring system was changed in 1972. At the 1960 Olympics, only his coaches gave Webster much of a chance against Gary Tobian of the U.S. and Britain's Brian Phelps
. But Webster saved his most difficult dives, and took the lead from Tobian with a near perfect 2½ somersault on his second to last dive. The margin of victory between Webster and silver medalist Tobian was less than one-third of a point—the narrowest in Olympic history.
He won the gold medal again in the 1964 Olympics with a score of 148.58 on October 18, 1964. He was only the second diver to win the platform event in consecutive Olympic games, after his coach Sammy Lee accomplished the feat in 1948 and 1952. In 1964, he won the gold by another narrow margin over Italy's Klaus Dibiasi
.
Webster won every tower diving competition he entered from 1960 to 1964, including a gold medal in the 1963 Pan American Games
in São Paulo, Brazil and the U.S. National AAU
championships from 1960 to 1964. He was the first U.S. diver to win the platform event in the history of the Pan American Games. He also won the U.S. National AAU championship in the 1-meter springboard in 1962 and the Big Ten Conference
championship in the 3-meter springboard in 1960.
. Webster was diving coach at Princeton
from 1966 to 1975. He was also the coach for the U.S. diving team at the 1971 Pan American Games
in Cali, Colombia. He later became the diving coach at the University of Alabama
where he was named SEC
Coach of the Year in 1981.
in 1970, and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1989.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes 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.Diving is one...
champion who won gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s at both the 1960
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
and 1964 Olympic games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in the 10-meter platform
Diving platforms
A diving platform or diving tower is a type of structure used for competitive diving.They consist of a vertical rigid "tower" with one or more horizontal platforms extending out over a deep pool of water. In platform diving, the diver jumps from a high stationary surface...
event. He also won a gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games
Diving at the 1963 Pan American Games
This page shows the results of the Diving Competition for men and women at the 1963 Pan American Games, held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil. There were two events, for both men and women.-3m Springboard:-10m Platform:...
and finished first in every platform diving event he entered from 1960 to 1964. He later became a diving coach at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. He has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
.
Competitive diving
A native of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he won his first collegiate diving title for Santa Ana Junior College
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College is a community college located in Santa Ana, California, USA.-History:In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange County, behind Fullerton College, and the fourth...
, a school that did not have a pool. While at Santa Ana, Webster trained off a board in Olympic champion Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee (diver)
Dr. Samuel Lee is the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States and the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic platform diving...
's backyard sand pit. In 1957, Webster led the Santa Ana Dons to second and third place finishes at the conference and state swimming and diving competitions. Sammy Lee was Webster's swimming coach at Santa Ana. Lee said, "Diving-wise, he was the greatest competitor I've ever coached. He really held up under competition, as both of his Olympic medals were by narrow margins. I told him early on that he could be an Olympic champion and Bob finally said, 'If you're serious, I'm serious.' I wrote to the University of Michigan and told them I had the next Olympic champion right here at Santa Ana College. They offered him a scholarship. The rest is history."
Webster then transferred to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he was coached by Dick Kimball
Dick Kimball
Dick Kimball is an American former diving champion and diving coach at the University of Michigan. He was the NCAA springboard champion in 1957 and the Professional World Diving champion in 1963. He coached the University of Michigan diving team from 1958-2002 and also coached the U.S. Olympic...
and Bruce Harlan
Bruce Harlan
Bruce Harlan was a diver from the United States and Olympic champion. He represented his native country at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he received one gold medal and one silver medal....
. He won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics with a score of 165.56 on September 2, 1960. His 1960 score on the platform was an Olympic record that remained unbroken when the scoring system was changed in 1972. At the 1960 Olympics, only his coaches gave Webster much of a chance against Gary Tobian of the U.S. and Britain's Brian Phelps
Brian Phelps (diver)
Brian Phelps is an English former diver.He won the 10 metre platform Gold Medal at the 1958 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary at the age of 14 and again in 1962 at age 18....
. But Webster saved his most difficult dives, and took the lead from Tobian with a near perfect 2½ somersault on his second to last dive. The margin of victory between Webster and silver medalist Tobian was less than one-third of a point—the narrowest in Olympic history.
| Rank | Diver | Preliminary | Semi-final | Final | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Total | Rank | Points | Rank | Total | ||
 |
52.21 | 9 | 47.51 | 2 | 99.72 | 3 | 65.84 | 1 | 165.56 | |
 |
54.10 | 4 | 51.98 | 1 | 106.08 | 1 | 59.17 | 2 | 165.25 | |
 |
57.35 | 1 | 44.50 | 3 | 101.85 | 2 | 55.28 | 4 | 157.13 |
He won the gold medal again in the 1964 Olympics with a score of 148.58 on October 18, 1964. He was only the second diver to win the platform event in consecutive Olympic games, after his coach Sammy Lee accomplished the feat in 1948 and 1952. In 1964, he won the gold by another narrow margin over Italy's Klaus Dibiasi
Klaus Dibiasi
Klaus Dibiasi is a former diver from Italy, who competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1964...
.
| Rank | Diver | Preliminary | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Total | ||
| |
93.18 | 6 | 55.40 | 1 | 148.58 | |
| |
97.62 | 1 | 49.92 | 5 | 147.54 | |
| |
92.79 | 7 | 53.78 | 2 | 146.57 |
Webster won every tower diving competition he entered from 1960 to 1964, including a gold medal in the 1963 Pan American Games
1963 Pan American Games
The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.- Medal count :To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.Note...
in São Paulo, Brazil and the U.S. National AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
championships from 1960 to 1964. He was the first U.S. diver to win the platform event in the history of the Pan American Games. He also won the U.S. National AAU championship in the 1-meter springboard in 1962 and the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship in the 3-meter springboard in 1960.
Diving coach
After retiring from competitive diving, Webster became the diving coach at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. Webster was diving coach at Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
from 1966 to 1975. He was also the coach for the U.S. diving team at the 1971 Pan American Games
1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
in Cali, Colombia. He later became the diving coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
where he was named SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Coach of the Year in 1981.
Awards and honors
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of FameInternational Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
in 1970, and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1989.
See also
- Diving at the 1960 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformDiving at the 1960 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformThe men's 10 metre platform, also reported as 10-metre high diving, was one of four diving events on the Diving at the 1960 Summer Olympics programme.The competition was split into three phases:#Preliminary round...
- Diving at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformDiving at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformThe men's 10 metre platform, also reported as high diving, was one of four diving events on the Diving at the 1964 Summer Olympics programme.The competition was split into two phases:#Preliminary round...
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...