Michael Hixon
Encyclopedia
Michael Hixon is a diver
who represents the United States
in international competition. He competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
in Singapore
, winning bronze in the 3 meter springboard event
, and is a world junior silver medalist in the synchronized 3 meter springboard alongside partner Kristian Ipsen
.
. Hixon's parents both coach in American collegiate sports
; his mother Mandy Hixon, who is also his personal coach, is the diving coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
and used to coach at Amherst College
and Williams College
, while his father Dave Hixon has been the basketball head coach at Amherst College since 1977, winning the 2007 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament
.
Hixon studies at Amherst Regional High School. Hixon's mother was also one of the United States' three coaches at the 2010 FINA Junior World Championships.
. He won in the 3 meter springboard event at a national selection camp and qualified for Youth Olympic trials in Guadalajara
, Mexico
, where he won a bronze medal and thus secured a spot to represent the United States at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. At that event, Hixon finished behind Qiu Bo of China
and Oleksandr Bondar
of Ukraine
, the same two divers who would go on to win gold and silver at the Youth Olympics.
Hixon subsequently paired with Kristian Ipsen
to win a silver at the 2010 FINA
World Junior Diving Championships in Tucson, Arizona
in the 3 meter synchronized springboard event, but only managed a tenth place finish in the 3 meter solo event.
Hixon has stated that his aim is to qualify for and compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics
in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
.
, Hixon qualified for the first-ever Youth Olympics
in the 3 meter springboard event.
The event in Singapore
consisted of a 15-man preliminary round and an eight-man final round. After the ten-dive preliminary round, Hixon carried over enough points into the final to begin the final round in third. Although he was sixth after his first dive in the final and fourth heading into his final dive, a poor dive by Italy
's Giovanni Tocci allowed Hixon to claim bronze on his final dive, finishing with a score of 554.65 points.
in Los Angeles.
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 represents the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in international competition. He competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, winning bronze in the 3 meter springboard event
Diving at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics – Boys' 3m springboard
The Boys' 3m springboard competition was held at August 22 at 20:30. 15 competitors featurd this event. Earlier that day there were preliminaries to determine the finalists .-Medalists:-Results:-References:* *...
, and is a world junior silver medalist in the synchronized 3 meter springboard alongside partner Kristian Ipsen
Kristian Ipsen
Kristian Ipsen is an American diver, who has been diving competitvely in 1998. Diving alongside Troy Dumais together, they took the silver medal in the synchronized 3 meter springboard at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy.-Championships:At the 2011 US National Championships in...
.
Family and personal life
Hixon was born on July 16, 1994, in Amherst, MassachusettsAmherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
. Hixon's parents both coach in American collegiate sports
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
; his mother Mandy Hixon, who is also his personal coach, is the diving coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
and used to coach at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, while his father Dave Hixon has been the basketball head coach at Amherst College since 1977, winning the 2007 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament involved 59 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college basketball...
.
Hixon studies at Amherst Regional High School. Hixon's mother was also one of the United States' three coaches at the 2010 FINA Junior World Championships.
Diving
Hixon began diving at age seven, and started entering competitions two years later. He began diving at the national level when he was 12 and has won the 1-meter competition at the national championships three years running. Hixon is a six-time junior U.S. champion, and won two bronze medals, in the 1 meter and 3 meter events, at the 2009 Junior Pan-American Diving Championships in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. He won in the 3 meter springboard event at a national selection camp and qualified for Youth Olympic trials in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where he won a bronze medal and thus secured a spot to represent the United States at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. At that event, Hixon finished behind Qiu Bo of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Oleksandr Bondar
Oleksandr Bondar
Aleksander Nikolayevich Bondar is a Ukrainian politician, People's Deputy of Ukraine, Member of the parliamentary fraction of OUR UKRAINE - People's Self-Defence, People's Union "Our Ukraine", Political party "Forward, Ukraine!", People's Movement of Ukraine, Ukrainian People's Party, Ukrainian...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the same two divers who would go on to win gold and silver at the Youth Olympics.
Hixon subsequently paired with Kristian Ipsen
Kristian Ipsen
Kristian Ipsen is an American diver, who has been diving competitvely in 1998. Diving alongside Troy Dumais together, they took the silver medal in the synchronized 3 meter springboard at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy.-Championships:At the 2011 US National Championships in...
to win a silver at the 2010 FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
World Junior Diving Championships in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in the 3 meter synchronized springboard event, but only managed a tenth place finish in the 3 meter solo event.
Hixon has stated that his aim is to qualify for and compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
By finishing third at the Americas-region qualifying event in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Hixon qualified for the first-ever Youth Olympics
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
in the 3 meter springboard event.
The event in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
consisted of a 15-man preliminary round and an eight-man final round. After the ten-dive preliminary round, Hixon carried over enough points into the final to begin the final round in third. Although he was sixth after his first dive in the final and fourth heading into his final dive, a poor dive by Italy
Italy at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
Italy competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, held in Singapore from 14 August to 26 August 2010.-Medalists:- Archery:BoysGirlsMixed Team- Athletics:-Boys:Track and Road Events...
's Giovanni Tocci allowed Hixon to claim bronze on his final dive, finishing with a score of 554.65 points.
Championships
At the 2011 US National Championships, Hixon captured the senior men 1-meter springboard title at the UCLA's Spieker Aquatics CenterSpieker Aquatics Center (UCLA)
Spieker Aquatics Center is a 2,500-capacity stadium in Los Angeles, California used by UCLA water polo, swimming, and diving teams. The $14-million center was built in 2009 and is named for Tod and Catherine Spieker...
in Los Angeles.