David John Pichler (born September 3, 1968) was an American diver for Ohio State University and an Olympic diving competitor representing the United States in 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where Pichler was elected team captain.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 3, 1968 Butler, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Diving |
| Event | Synchronized platform diving |
| College team | Ohio State University |
| Club | Pitt Aquatics Club |
| Coached by | Julian Krug (Pitt Aquatics) Vince Panzano (OSU) |
Early swimming
editBorn in Butler, Pennsylvania on September 3, 1968, in his earliest years, Pichler swam for the Butler YMCA.[2]
In 1985, swimming for Butler High School, Pichler was runner-up for the WPIAL diving championship, and in the Pennsylvania State Meet finished third. In March 1986, Pichler won the State Championship diving tournament earning 459.75 points, a state record. Beginning in High School Freshman year, Pichler trained in diving with Julian Krug at Pitt Aquatics Club, a highly competitive program that had produced Boy's state champions for three successive years. Pichler likely did the majority of his training at Pitt Aquatic Club practices. Krug also coached the swimming team at the University of Pittsburgh and was a former coach for the Naval Academy swim team.[3][4]
Pichler attended Ohio State University, where he swam for Coach Vince Panzano, a former Ohio State diver.[5] At Ohio State, Pichler was a 1991 NCAA National titlist.[2] He returned to train with Panzano prior to the 1996 Olympics. He had formerly trained with Ron O'Brien in Fort Lauderdale for three years with the U.S. National Team, but was very unhappy with O'Brien's coaching style. He also trained with talented diving coach Randy Ablemen in Miami.[2]
International competition
editIn 1992, Pichler unsuccessfully participated in the Olympic trials, but finished seventh, and may have been suffering from the flu.[2]
In 1994, Pichler participated in the World Championships in Rome.[2]
Olympics
editIn the 1996 Olympic Trials, Pichler placed second in the 10-meter platform finals behind Patrick Jeffrey.[6]
In the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Pichler placed sixth in Platform diving, and in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Pichler placed ninth in platform diving, seventh in synchronized platform diving, and fourth in synchronized springboard diving, in one of his best performances. In the 2000 Olympics, Pichler served as team captain.[7]
Pichler and Mark Ruiz won the synchronized platform final at the FINA-USA Diving Grand Prix in May 2000 scored 301.26 points, ahead of 298.50 for Australians Mathew Helm and Robert Newbery. In 1996, he publicly came out as gay.[8][5]
References
edit- ^ "David Pichler Biography and Statistics on Sports-reference". sports-reference.com.
- ^ a b c d e Finder, Chuck, "Butler's Pichler Keeps His Focus", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 14 July 1966, pg. 53
- ^ Zingaro, John, "Butler Divers Finish One-Two at State Meet", The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 13 March 1986, pg. 48
- ^ Kadilak, Karen, "Brookline's Courey May Rival Top Divers From Pittsburgh Area", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 23 July 1987, pg. 16
- ^ a b "Vince Panzano to Retire as Head Coach of Diving Team – Ohio State Buckeyes".
- ^ "Acrimony Worries Pichler", The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida, 24 June 1996, pg. 29
- ^ "Olympics.com, Vince Panzano". olympics.com.
- ^ Ghent, Bill (26 September 2006). "Making a Splash". The Advocate. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
External links
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