Tarja Liljeström

Tarja Liljeström was a Finnish diver who competed throughout her life, winning multiple masters titles. Liljeström first began diving when she was 11-years-old after watching clowns dive into water at a show. During the 1960s she won multiple local competitions and two golds at the national championships (1963, 1965). She had consistent performances at the European Championships, which earned her a place on the Finnish Olympic team. At the 1968 Mexico City Games she competed in the springboard and platform events, finishing 14th and 17th, respectively. Liljeström later worked as a judge at the 1980 Moskva and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

By 1989 Liljeström had begun competing in masters diving. From 1992 to 2008 she participated at nine editions of the FINA Masters World Championships where she won 25 medals, including nine golds. From 1997 to 2009 she was also a member of the FINA Masters Committee. Away from the pool Liljeström had a doctorate in radio astronomy and worked as a researcher at the University of Helsinki.