Breaking records and boundaries has been the lifelong work of today’s guests, Olympic diving legends Cynthia Potter and Micki King.
One of the ironies in sports is that athletes often compete against one another for a lifetime, yet during that time they become teammates on occasions such as the Olympics. Cynthia and Micki are two such athletes.
Olympic Diving Legends
Cynthia Potter claimed 28 National Diving Championships, a record for women divers, and was the World Springboard Diver of the year three times. She competed in the 1972 & 1976 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1976 on the 3-meter springboard.
Cynthia went on to coach both men and women at SMU and Arizona and has worked as a TV commentator for diving events.
Micki King holds 10 National Championships, competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, and won gold in 1972 on the 3-meter springboard, the culmination of an amazing comeback story.
Micki King chose a career in the Air Force, retiring as a Colonel. She was the first woman to be on the faculty at the Air Force Academy, becoming the first woman in NCAA history in any sport to coach both the men’s and women’s team at the same university. She went on to be a founding member of the Women’s Sports Foundation, advancing the cause of women in sports and life careers worldwide.
They competed as rivals from 1964-1972 in the 1m and 3m springboard plus the 10m platform.
Teammates and Rivals
They were teammates at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and were horrified with the rest of the world as terrorists stormed the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and taking nine others hostage.
Both will relate that experience in addition to their duel experiences as teammates and rivals.
Groundbreaking women on and off the diving platforms. These are lifetime stories that advanced a sport and the lives of those who followed.
Further Listening:
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If you loved this episode, check out our others:
- The Crawl of Fame | Ep 1
- 1985 American League Championship | Ep 2
- Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry | Ep 3
- 1984 Tigers vs Blue Jays | Ep 4
- 2002 World Series | Giants vs Angels | Ep 5
- UCLA vs Arizona | NCAA Mens’ Basketball | Ep 6
- ACC College Basketball | MD vs VT | Ep 7
- Army vs Navy | NCAA Football | Ep 8
- GM vs Agent | Major League Baseball | Ep 9
- 1988 NLCS | Dodgers vs Mets | Ep 10
- In The Press Box | Nightengale vs Miller | Ep 11
- Reporters | Adamson vs Coakley | Ep 12
- Coaches | Raftery vs Carlesimo | Ep 13
- Pitchers | Blyleven vs Langston | Ep 14
- Public Relations | Horwitz vs Swanson | Ep 15
- Swimming | USA vs East Germany | Ep 16
- 1983 Sugar Bowl | PSU vs GA | Ep 17
- OSU vs Oregon | NCAA Basketball | Ep 18