Bruce Kimball

Bruce Kimball has had a checkered life, both in and out of the pool. As a diver, he focused almost exclusively on the platform, but had the bad luck to dive in the same era as Greg Louganis, the greatest diver ever. Competing against Louganis, he won almost no major championships but was a frequent visitor to the podium. In addition to his Olympic silver, he was bronze medalist on the platform at the 1982 and 1986 World Championships and silver medalist at the 1983 Pan-American Games.

The 1982 World Championship marked a great comeback for Kimball. In 1981, he was hit by a drunk driver. Fortunate to be alive, most of the bones in his face were broken, his left femur was broken, he sustained torn knee ligaments, a liver laceration, and he had to have his spleen removed. It was not certain if he could return to world-class diving, but he did so nine months after the accident.

In August 1988, Kimball was on the other end of a drunk driving accident. Driving while inebriated, he plowed into a crowd of teenagers outside a popular night spot, killing two boys and injuring six others. The accident occurred just before the Olympic Trials, and there was great controversy over whether he should be allowed to compete in the Trials. Eventually he did compete but failed to make the 1988 Olympic team. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter. He was released in 1993 after serving five years, but as part of his sentence his driving privileges were permanently revoked. Since his release from prison Kimball has worked as a teacher and diving coach.