Jan Hempel
Encyclopedia
Jan Hempel is a German
diver
who competed at the 1988
, 1992
, 1996
, and the 2000 Summer Olympics
, winning two Olympic medals. Hempel won a silver in 10 m Platform and a bronze medal in 10 m synchronized platform. He also competed on the 3m springboard, scoring "the second best dive of all time" in Vienna in 1993.
Hempel was born in Dresden
.
. Hempel placed fifth.
, but again did not medal, placing fourth.
was charm, as Hempel won silver in the 10 m platform, scoring 663.27. He saved his toughest dive for last. He nailed the back 1½ somersault with 4½ twists from the free position, earning 92.88 points. It was one of the two dives out of the 72 in the finals with a 3.6 degree of difficulty.
won the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Games
, earning Hempel his second medal in four Olympic appearances.
Meyer and first-time Olympian Heiko Meyer began training together in 1998 and won the bronze medal at the World Championships later that year. The pair also won the event at the 1999 European Championships.
Despite these achievements, Hempel came into the 2000 Games with modest expectations. Hempel stated, "If you had asked us before the competition, we wouldn't have thought we were a chance for a medal." However, the team pulled off a solid performance on the program's most difficult dive, a back 3½ somersault tuck and reverse 3½ somersault tuck, scoring 78.54. Hempel continued, "It has the most risk but it paid off for us."
In 1997 in Seville, Spain Hempel finally won a European highboard diving gold 10 years after taking the first of three silvers on the 10-meter board.
Hempel had been suffering from influenza for three days and considered pulling out of the competition. But he decided against it and was rewarded with the gold. "I'm happy it worked out at the sixth attempt," said Hempel. During the competition, he scored a rare perfect 10 mark.
After taking the silver in 1987, 1989 and 1995 and bronze in 1993, he had finally added a highboard gold to the European three-meter springboard gold he won in 1993.
At the 2003 Arena Diving Champions Cup in Stockholm
, Hempel, now 32, was described as the man "who wrote diving history," citing the second best dive of all time in the Diving Champions Cup 3m finals performing a back 1½ somersault with 3½ twists in Vienna 1993, for a fantastic 87.36 points.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
who competed at the 1988
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, 1996
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, and the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, winning two Olympic medals. Hempel won a silver in 10 m Platform and a bronze medal in 10 m synchronized platform. He also competed on the 3m springboard, scoring "the second best dive of all time" in Vienna in 1993.
Hempel was born in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
1988
Hempel made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Seoul1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
. Hempel placed fifth.
1992
Hempel returned to the Olympics in Barcelona1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, but again did not medal, placing fourth.
1996
The third time1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
was charm, as Hempel won silver in the 10 m platform, scoring 663.27. He saved his toughest dive for last. He nailed the back 1½ somersault with 4½ twists from the free position, earning 92.88 points. It was one of the two dives out of the 72 in the finals with a 3.6 degree of difficulty.
2000
In the inaugural men's 10 m synchronized platform event, Hempel, now 29, with partner Heiko MeyerHeiko Meyer
Heiko Meyer is a German diver who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal with Jan Hempel in the men's 10 m platform synchronized event.-References:*...
won the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, earning Hempel his second medal in four Olympic appearances.
Meyer and first-time Olympian Heiko Meyer began training together in 1998 and won the bronze medal at the World Championships later that year. The pair also won the event at the 1999 European Championships.
Despite these achievements, Hempel came into the 2000 Games with modest expectations. Hempel stated, "If you had asked us before the competition, we wouldn't have thought we were a chance for a medal." However, the team pulled off a solid performance on the program's most difficult dive, a back 3½ somersault tuck and reverse 3½ somersault tuck, scoring 78.54. Hempel continued, "It has the most risk but it paid off for us."
European Diving Championships
In the European Diving Championships, Hempel had an illustrious career winning silver in 1987 in Strasbourg, France, bronze in 1989 in Bonn, Germany, gold in 1993 in Sheffield, Great Britain, and silver in 1995 in Vienna, Austria.In 1997 in Seville, Spain Hempel finally won a European highboard diving gold 10 years after taking the first of three silvers on the 10-meter board.
Hempel had been suffering from influenza for three days and considered pulling out of the competition. But he decided against it and was rewarded with the gold. "I'm happy it worked out at the sixth attempt," said Hempel. During the competition, he scored a rare perfect 10 mark.
After taking the silver in 1987, 1989 and 1995 and bronze in 1993, he had finally added a highboard gold to the European three-meter springboard gold he won in 1993.
At the 2003 Arena Diving Champions Cup in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Hempel, now 32, was described as the man "who wrote diving history," citing the second best dive of all time in the Diving Champions Cup 3m finals performing a back 1½ somersault with 3½ twists in Vienna 1993, for a fantastic 87.36 points.
Synchronized diving
With Meyer, the synchronized pair continued to compete in the event at the World Championships, through at least 2001. They also competed separately on the men's 10 m platform. Hempel placed 4th at the 2001 Goodwill Games.See also
- Diving at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformDiving at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platformThe men's 10 metre platform was one of four diving events included in the Diving at the 1996 Summer Olympics programme.The competition was split into three phases:...
- Diving at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's synchronized 10 metre platformDiving at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's synchronized 10 metre platformThe men's synchronized 10 metre platform was one of eight diving events included in the Diving at the 2000 Summer Olympics programme and one of the newest four events since 1924.The competition was held as an outright final:...