Greg Louganis Biography - Talents And Trials, The Young Olympian, Getting The Gold, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY LOUGANIS:
1960-
American diver
Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Greg Louganis is generally considered by sportswriters and fans the best diver in the history of the sport. For years he was simply unbeatable in diving competitions. At the same time, his personal struggles as a closeted gay man often left him feeling alone and worthless. This combination of public adulation and private torment created a complex pattern in Louganis' life, alternating between highly disciplined athletic prowess in the pool and self-destructive impulses in his private life. Louganis explored these themes in his cathartic autobiography Breaking the Surface.
SELECTED WRITINGS BY LOUGANIS:
(With Eric Marcus) Breaking the Surface, New York: Random House, 1995.
Additional Topics
Gregory Louganis was born on January 29, 1960, to two fifteen-year-olds, one Samoan and the other Northern European, who gave him up for adoption. Interestingly, his adoptive parents, Peter and Frances Louganis, were specifically looking for a darker child, in contrast to their own fair-haired, light-skinned community. Louganis' Samoan ancestry fit the bill, and he grew up looking and feeli…
Louganis was soon performing in amateur diving contests, and at the age of 11, he found himself at the 1971 AAU Junior Olympics. The event would prove a turning point, for there two-time Olympic gold medallist Sammy Lee discovered the young prodigy. Spotting the boy's talent, he decided to take him on and coach him to the Olympics. He was the first to suggest to Louganis that he could go th…
Despite being a 16-year-old silver medallist, Louganis actually found the next few years hard. He felt confused by his newfound celebrity status, having been largely invisible to his classmates just months before, and he continued to drink and smoke far too much. In addition, he injured his back at a practice session, and there were days when the pain was so bad he simply could not dive at all. An…
Retired from diving competitions, Louganis had time to focus on his relationship with "Tom," and what he found was very disturbing. Among other things, he had only $2,000 to his name. Everything else was either in Tom's name or in both of their names. He also suspected that Tom was cheating on him, sometimes with gay youths who wrote him fan letters. Louganis hired a private i…
The Ryan White story was impossible to miss, and it really caught my attention. I first saw Ryan on CNN. I was really impressed by this kid who had gone to court to go to school…. Ryan was sick, but instead of people having compassion for him, they were terrified that he'd spread AIDS by going to school. I thought if I showed I wasn't afraid of Ryan, then maybe others would fo…
Currently, Greg Louganis is focused on acting, speaking engagements, and a relatively new vocation, training dogs. One of his dogs, a Harlequin Great Dane, appeared in the movie Beethoven II. He has also continued his work as an AIDS activist, making speeches throughout the country. He remains healthy, and continues to work out, including a yoga regimen. In contrast, he has largely abandoned divin…
Louganis, Greg, and Eric Marcus. Breaking the Surface. New York: Random House, 1995. Callahan, Tom. "Star-spangled Home Team: U.S. Olympians Are Certain to Give the Nation Something to Shout About." Time (July 30, 1984): 60. Gietschier, Steve. "Review of Breaking the Surface." The Sporting News (May 1, 1995): 9. "Greg Louganis: An Olympic Hopeful." Co-Ed (…
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over 2 years ago
Samantha Dolak » rhythmrose1988 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I love Greg Louganis he has always been an inspriation to me he didn't care what anyone thought of him and he persued his dreams. My grandfather was a diver and he won his first titile in elementary school at eight years old and as he started watching the olympics he said he discovered greg louganis he has always thought he was the greatest diver ever. He said it was a shame that he quit diving.