Richard Degener, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetRichard Degener
diver
Date of Birth: 14-Mar-1912
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Date of Death: 24-Aug-1995
Profession: competitive diver
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Pisces 
About Richard Degener
- Richard Kempster Degener (March 14, 1912 – August 24, 1995) was an American diver.
- He won a bronze and a gold medal in the 3 m springboard at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, respectively. In April, 1936, Degener, along with many other sports champions and standouts, was honored at a banquet in Detroit, Michigan.
- This banquet was the first celebration of Champions Day.
- In July, 1936, a plaque was presented to Detroit from the White House honoring Detroit as the City of Champions.
- The plaque has five "medallions" featuring athletes.
- Originally the plans called for these five athletes to be a baseball player, football player, hockey player, power boat racer, and a boxer.
- But Joe Louis was surprisingly knocked out in a boxing match just weeks before the plaque was to be presented.
- Planners changed the boxer to a diver, to represent Degener, at the last minute.Degener introduced the full layout in which his body seemed to soar, lazy-like and graceful in the air.
- This astonished the diving world and caused a buzz of admiration around the pool.
- "If there is one thing I've gotten out of sports, it's that I learned to be intense and to do the job." Degener never lost a diving contest in college during the three years he represented Michigan from 1931 to 1934 as he took the Big Ten Conference and National Collegiate championship.
- In AAU competition, Dick was unbeaten for years as he won 14 national indoor and outdoor diving titles.
- He won four outdoor AAU Nationals in the high board representing the Detroit Athletic Club, and three NCAA titles for the University of Michigan.
- At the Indoor AAUs he won five straight three-meter springboard titles and two one-meter titles. Degener later turned professional with the Billy Rose Aquacade when it opened in Cleveland.
- In 1971, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
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