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Courtesy of USC
Dr. Sammy Lee coached at the University of Southern California. |
REPRINTED FROM ASAM NEWS
THE SWIMMING, Olympic and AsianAmerican communities are joining family and friends in mourning the death of Olympic gold medal diver Sammy Lee. Lee died Dec. 2 from Pneumonia. He was 96 years old at his death.
The Korean/American became the first Asian/American man to win an Olympic gold medal in 1948 at the London games and again in 1952 in Helsinki in the 10-meter diving competition.
His teammate and good friend was Victoria Manolo, a Filipino/American, who also won two gold medals in diving at the same Olympics. She was the first Asian/American to win gold for the U.S. when she won the 3-meter diving category, the first of two gold medals she was to win. One of the first person's to congratulate her was Lee, who would later win his gold.
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| Sammy Lee in mid-dive. |
Lee later coached many Olympic greats including four-time gold medalist Greg Louganis, who is of Samoan and Swedish descent and an LGBT activist.
“He taught me at a very early age the responsibility of being (an) ambassador to not only my sport of diving but to the world,” Louganis said in a statement. “I was only 16 at my first Olympics with him as my coach.”
Hongping Li, the head diving coach at the University of Southern California, counts Lee as a mentor.
“I’m going to miss him as a mentor, as a loving father and a very kind human being,” said Li to CBS Los Angeles.
As with many Asian/American pioneers, Lee had to overcome racism. He was only allowed to practice in a Los Angeles pool once a week, the day non-Whites were allowed to use it.
“He taught me at a very early age the responsibility of being (an) ambassador to not only my sport of diving but to the world,” Louganis said in a statement. “I was only 16 at my first Olympics with him as my coach.”
Hongping Li, the head diving coach at the University of Southern California, counts Lee as a mentor.
“I’m going to miss him as a mentor, as a loving father and a very kind human being,” said Li to CBS Los Angeles.
As with many Asian/American pioneers, Lee had to overcome racism. He was only allowed to practice in a Los Angeles pool once a week, the day non-Whites were allowed to use it.
(Views From the Edge contributed to this report. Earlier versions of this report mistkenly named Lee as the first Asian/American to win a gold medal. Filipina/American Victoria Manolo won her gold days before Lee won his.)
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