David Boudia

Born on April 24, 1989, in Abilene, Texas, David Alasdair Boudia began his diving career in 2000 and quickly progressed to become a member of the U.S. National Diving Team in 2005. He attended Purdue University, where he trained under Head Diving Coach Adam Soldati. Boudia demonstrated early promise and skill in diving, despite initially finding the height of an Olympic 10-meter platform daunting. His collegiate career was marked by significant achievements, including sweeping all three diving events multiple times at the Big Ten Championships, making him the first Big Ten diver to achieve this feat twice. He was also honored as the Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 2011.

Boudia’s Olympic journey began at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, where he competed in the 10-meter platform and synchronized 10-meter platform events, narrowly missing podium finishes. His persistence led to a breakthrough at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, where he secured a bronze medal in the synchronized 10-meter platform with partner Nicholas McCrory, marking a significant return to the podium for U.S. men’s diving. In a thrilling individual performance, he then won the gold medal in the 10-meter platform, becoming the first American male diver to win Olympic gold in this event since Greg Louganis in 1988.

Continuing his successful career, Boudia competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, earning a silver medal in the synchronized 10-meter platform with Steele Johnson and a bronze medal in the individual 10-meter platform. After the Rio Games, he took a hiatus from international competition in 2017 to consider his future. He decided to return with an ambition for a fourth Olympics, transitioning from the 10-meter platform to the 3-meter springboard after suffering a concussion during training in 2018. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Boudia authored an autobiography, “Greater Than Gold,” published in 2016, sharing his personal journey and experiences.