Springboard, Women

Ingrid Krämer had won this event in Roma (and the platform), breaking the American streak of wins in the event that went back to 1920. She was back, now as Ingrid Engel-Krämer, but trailed through the first six dives behind American Patsy Willard. However Engel-Krämer pulled ahead on the final dive of the preliminaries and held onto the lead through the final three dives to defend her gold medal. She would also add a silver on the platform in Tokyo. Jeanne Collier moved into second place on her final dive to win the silver medal, with Willard dropping back to third. Collier would later marry Ken Sitzberger, the winner of the men’s springboard in Tokyo.

There was some controversy in the qualifying, when Soviet Yelena Anokhina, on her fourth dive, dove in a pike position, although she had been scheduled for layout. The judges gave her a good 11.25 points at first, but adjusted the score to 3.45 after learning of the dive error. This eliminated her from the finals, advancing Japan’s Kumiko Watanabe, who then finished eighth in qualifying. But the next morning, the Soviets protested, and Anokhina was permitted to repeat her fourth dive, scoring 9.60 points, enough to place her eighth, ahead of Watanabe, The Japanese then protested, and both divers were allowed to advance to the finals, where Anokhina finished sixth and Watanabe ninth.