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Bernard Wrightson

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Bernard Wrightson
Personal information
BornJune 25, 1944 (1944-06-25) (age 80)
Medal record
Men's diving
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 3 metre springboard
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1967 Winnipeg 3 metre springboard
Universiade
Silver medal – second place 1965 Budapest 3 m springboard
Silver medal – second place 1965 Budapest Platform

Bernard Charles Wrightson (born June 25, 1944) is a former Olympic and Pan American Games gold medalist for the United States.[1] The Denver, Colorado, native[2] was primarily a three-meter springboard diver, but he also won a national AAU championship on the ten-meter platform. Between 1964 and 1968, Bernie Wrightson captured a total of eight USA Open titles in the sport of diving. He represented US at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal in Springboard Diving.[3]

Biography

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Wrightson was raised in Denver, Colorado, where he attended Morey Junior High and Denver East High School.[2] He attended Arizona State University; in 1966 he was the National Collegiate Athletic Association champion on both the one and three-meter springboard. The following season, Wrightson won a gold medal at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. During the 1968 Games of Mexico City, Bernie moved in front during the first round – and never looked back; he set an Olympic record of 170 points to win the gold medal.[4]

Awards

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He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1984.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bernie Wrightson". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Moss, Irv (May 14, 2014). "Colorado Classics: Bernie Wrightson, Olympic champion diver". The Denver Post.
  3. ^ "1968 Summer Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Diving" Archived September 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. databaseOlympics.com. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Bernie Wrightson (USA) 1984". International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 29, 2007.