Sports
Richard Degener
1912–1995 · diver
Detroit-born diver who won an Olympic bronze in 1932 and gold in 1936, trained at the Detroit Athletic Club, and was honored in his hometown as one of the era's "City of Champions" stars.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Grand Rapids, Michigan
aged 83- Birth name
- Richard Kempster Degener
- Detroit years
- 1912–1936
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Degener began diving at age ten after his father, an early Ford Motor Company employee, paid for lessons from the Detroit Yacht Club's swimming coach. He starred at Detroit Central High School before winning back-to-back NCAA three-meter springboard titles at the University of Michigan in 1933 and 1934, never losing a college diving contest in three years. Throughout his competitive career he represented the Detroit Athletic Club, coached there by former Olympic medalist Clarence Pinkston, and he won four outdoor AAU national titles for the club. He took Olympic bronze in the three-meter springboard at the 1932 Los Angeles Games and gold at the 1936 Berlin Games, retiring from competition soon after. In April 1936 Detroit honored him at a banquet marking the city's first Champions Day, and that July the White House recognized Detroit as the "City of Champions," with Degener among its most celebrated athletes.
Highlights
- Trained from age 10 at the Detroit Yacht Club, then the Detroit Athletic Club
- Won back-to-back NCAA springboard titles at Michigan, 1933–1934
- Olympic bronze medalist, 1932 Los Angeles (3 m springboard)
- Olympic gold medalist, 1936 Berlin (3 m springboard)
- Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1971
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Favorite haunt · 1930s
Detroit Athletic Club
The private club he represented in competition and where he trained under coach Clarence Pinkston.
Studied here · c. 1929
Central High School
Status being checked
Where he first established himself as a diving champion.