Springboard, Women

This was a very close competition between Americans Vicki Draves and Zoe Ann Olsen. Draves led the preliminary round by only 1.1 points over Olsen, but Olsen outscored her in the final round, just barely. However, Draves was able to hang on to win the gold medal, with Olsen second. American Patsy Elsener completed the American sweep. Draves would return in a few days and become the first woman to win the springboard/platform double at a single Olympics, with Elsener taking silver on the platform.

Vicki Draves had been born Victoria Manolo as the daughter of a Filipino father, and had to overcome racial discrimination to be able to dive at some clubs in the San Francisco area, where she grew up. Her first club required her to use her mother’s maiden name, Taylor, in order to swim and dive at the club. Zoe Ann Olsen later became part of a dream American sports pairing when she married Boston Red Sox and New York Yankee outfielder and one-time American League MVP Jackie Jensen, although they would later divorce. Victoria Manolo would later marry her coach, Lyle Draves, and take his name.