Record-Breaker Turns All-Around Record-Maker
Seven years and two Olympics later (including Sydney in 2000 when he was only 15, the youngest athlete on the Canadian Olympics team and Athens, in 2004, where he won silver), Alexandre Despatie took his diving game a step further. During the 2005 FINA Super Grand Prix Finals held in Montreal, Alexandre became the first (and is still the only) diver in the history of the sport to win gold in all three individual diving events: the 1-metre springboard in 2005, 3-metre springboard in 2005 and 10-metre tower platform in 2003.
Vibrant Personality
From teaching political funnyman Rick Mercer how to dive off a 10-metre platform to inspiring teenage crushes worldwide, Alexandre Despatie wouldn't have any trouble winning gold in a popularity contest.
Credits Parents for His Success
Noting their unconditional support and unwavering help since he started taking diving classes at age five after his parents noticed how much he enjoyed the family pool as a toddler, Alexandre says in a recent French video interview that he doesn't think he could have made it to three Olympic Games without the consistent support and encouragement of his loving parents, from Dad chauffeuring him to training and school to Mom preparing his lunches.
Alexandre Despatie Has Cigarette Burns Where?!
Four round scars -- or tattoos, as Alexandre refers to them -- are visible on his left arm as a token of friendship to match the marks on the arm of Alexandre's friend and competitive rival from China, diver Wang Feng. Building a camaraderie came naturally between the two over the years, even though Despatie can't speak Chinese and Feng can't speak French nor English. But as Despatie says in this Toronto Star interview: "somehow, we always manage to understand each other."
Birthday
August 6, 1985
Birthplace
Montreal, Quebec
Residence
Laval, Quebec
Career Highlights in 2008
Beijing Olympic Games: silver, 3m
FINA World Cup: bronze, 3m synchro (with Arturo Miranda)
Career Highlights in 2007
Pan American Games: gold, 3m; bronze, 10m; bronze, 3m synchro (with Arturo Miranda)
Career Highlights in 2006
Commonwealth Games: gold, 1m; gold, 3m; gold, 3m synchro (with Arturo Miranda); bronze, 10m
Career Highlights in 2005
FINA World Aquatic Championships: gold, 3m; gold, 1m
FINA Grand Prix Super Final: gold, 3m
Career Highlights in 2004
Athens Olympic Games: silver, 3m; 4th, 10m; 5th, 10m synchro (with Philippe Comtois)
Ranked 1st in the world on individual springboard(3m) and 4th on individual platform(10m)
USA Diving Grand Prix: silver, 3m
Canada Cup: silver, 3m
Spain Grand Prix: gold, 3m; gold, 10m
Russia Grand Prix: gold, 3m; gold, 10m
FINA World Cup: gold, 3m; bronze, 10m; bronze, 10m synchro (with Philippe Comtois)
Career Highlights in 2003
Ranked 3rd in the world on platform
Junior Pan Am Championships: triple gold
Pan American Games: gold, 3m; bronze, 10m; gold, 3m (with Philippe Comtois); gold, 10m synchro (with Philippe Comtois)
World Aquatic Championships: gold, 10m
FINA Super Final Grand Prix: gold, 10m; bronze, 10m synchro (with Philippe Comtois)
Canada Cup: silver, 3m; gold, 3m synchro (with Philippe Comtois)
Career Highlights in 2002
World Cup: silver, 10m
Career Highlights in 2001
World Aquatic Championships: silver, 10m
Career Highlights in 2000
Sydney Olympic Games: 4th, 10m
Sources
Diving Plongeon Canada
Alexandre Despatie Official Website
Toronto Star
CBC Olympics
