Loudy Wiggins

Loudy Wiggins (née Tourky) (born 7 July 1979)[3] is a former Australian diver. She was born in Haifa, Israel to Palestinian parents, but moved to Australia when she was 3 years old.

Loudy Wiggins
Personal information
Born (1979-07-07) 7 July 1979
ResidenceMelbourne, Australia
Height4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)[1]
Weight97 lb (44 kg; 6.9 st)[2]
Sport
Country Australia
Event(s)10m platform, 10m synchro
Medal record
Women’s Diving
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
2000 Sydney10m Platform Synchro
2004 Athens10m Platform
World Championships
2003 Barcelona 10m Platform Synchro
2005 Montreal 10m Platform
2005 Montreal 10m Platform Sychro
2001 Fukuoka 10m Platform
Commonwealth Games
2002 Manchester10m Platform
2006 Melbourne10m Platform Synchro
2006 Melbourne10m Platform[3]

Wiggins was a gymnast at the Australian Institute of Sport, then began diving when she was 12 on suggestion from her physiotherapist.[4]

Wiggins competed at her first Olympic Games for Diving when she was 17 years old at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[4] She won bronze in the 10m synchronised platform event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, becoming the first Australian to win an Olympic medal in diving since Dick Eve in 1924 (with Rebecca Gilmore). She and Rebecca Gilmore were also the first Australian female Olympic diving medallists.

She won bronze at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka after a successful year on the Diving Grand Prix circuit and was named Female Australian Diver of the Year. Loudy was known as being a powerful platform diver.

After winning many National championships in both springboard and platform as well as many international medals, in 2002 she won gold in the 10m platform event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and backed this up in 2003 by winning first place at an unprecedented three successive CAN-AM-MEX FINA Diving Grand Prix competitions coming home with 6 gold medals. She finished 2003 with a silver medal at the FINA Aquatic World Championships in the 10m synchronised diving event in Barcelona.

In 2004, after finishing second in the 10m platform event at the Diving World Cup in Athens, Wiggins won bronze in the 10m event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She also won 2 silver medals the following year at the 2005 FINA World Aquatic Championships in Montreal in the 10m and 10m Synchro events and 2 gold medals at the same events at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Wiggins trained for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,[5] but a calf injury suffered during the Olympic selection trials on 13 April 2008 prevented her from competing in the Games.[6][7]

After getting married and having her first child, Wiggins began a comeback,[8] placing 14th at the Olympic Test Event in London.[9]

Returning to Australia, she partnered with Rachel Bugg and, after very limited preparation, defeated Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak at the Australian Nomination Trials.[9] and competed at her fourth Olympic Games at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where, at 33, she was the oldest diver in the field.[8][10]

Wiggins has a degree in media and communications,[4] from the University of Sydney, was on the Australian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission and the Board of Directors of Diving Victoria from 2012 - 2016.

Personal life

She was born in Haifa, Israel and is of Palestinian background. She was born to Butros and Afaf Tourky, who moved to Australia when Loudy was three. Wiggins is married to former Carlton Australian rules football player Simon Wiggins. They have a daughter born in 2010 and a son born in 2013.[11]

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References
  1. "Loudy Wiggins (Tourky), London 2012 Olympics". Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  2. "Loudy Wiggins (Tourky), London 2012 Olympics". Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  3. "Loudy Wiggins". Victorian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  4. "Loudy Wiggins - Saxton Speakers Bureau". Saxton.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  5. "Loudy Wiggins aiming for fourth straight Olympics". Herald Sun. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  6. "Wiggins' dream for four Olympics is over - Beijing2008 - Sport". Melbourne: theage.com.au. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  7. http://www.sporttalk.com.au/loudy-wiggins-out-of-beijing-olympics/
  8. "Loudy Wiggins: a diving veteran who's back for more". Xinhuanet.
  9. "Loudy Wiggins (Tourky)". london2012.olympics.com.au. Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  10. "Loudy Wiggins (Tourky), London 2012 Olympics". Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  11. "Mum Loudy Wiggins' new high delights Layla". Herald Sun. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
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