Don Wagstaff

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name= Don Wagstaff

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|birth_name = Donald Douglas Wagstaff

|country= Australia

|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1949|07|24|df=yes}}

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|sport= Diving

|event= 3 m springboard, 10 m platform

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|coach= Frank Murphy

|retired=

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{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}

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Donald Douglas Wagstaff, MBE (born 24 July 1949) is an Australian former diver who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/don-wagstaff-1.html |access-date=18 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113141736/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/don-wagstaff-1.html |archive-date=13 November 2012}} He also participated in four Commonwealth Games events, from the 1966 Games in Kingston up to the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.

Career

=1960s=

Upon arriving in Kingston, Jamaica for the 1966 Commonwealth Games, Wagstaff and fellow diver Chris Robb were the first to start training immediately upon arrival, despite the day being declared one of "relaxation and settling in", due to the long trip from Sydney, Australia. Their opportunity to train was limited, as the pool staff were not expecting them so soon upon their arrival.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90983571/the-age/ |title=Divers first to train in Kingston |newspaper=The Age |page=24 |date=22 July 1966}} Wagstaff went on to win two silver medals at the games, one in each of the men's diving events. He was the only male diver to represent Australia during the 1968 Summer Olympics.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90984071/don-wagstaff/ |title=Games trip the silver lining |newspaper=The Age |page=21 |date=27 February 1968}}

=1970s=

In the men's diving event of the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, Wagstaff picked up gold medals in both of the events and became the first Australian man to win a gold medal in a springboard event at any previous Olympic or Commonwealth Games. Wagstaff was described as having given "the best exhibition of spring-board diving seen by an Australian". His achievement was witnessed by his mum, who had to save $1000 in order to travel to the games and filmed him diving on her movie camera.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90724396/don-wagstaff-commonwealth-diving/ |title=Gold medal, and it's all on film |newspaper=The Age |page=22 |date=22 July 1970}} In 1971, following his diving success, he attended The Age Sports Star of the Year banquet in Melbourne, at a time when he was being described as "the greatest diver Australia has ever produced".{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90982465/don-wagstaff/ |title=Flying in for a star night |newspaper=The Age |page=28 |date=29 January 1971}}

In July 1972, he competed in an international diving competition held in Helsinki, where he won the men's springboard event. Shortly after, he participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101993491 |title=Top diver |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=38 |date=8 July 1972}} In the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games, Wagstaff retained his gold-medal status in both events, having had to come from behind in the 10-metre tower event, beating Scott Cranham despite messing up his 4th dive.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110758973 |title=Gold medals to Wenden, Cooper and Wagstaff |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=18 |date=29 January 1974}} Following his double gold medal wins in 1974, it would be another 20 years before an Australian would win a two gold medal double in Commonwealth Games diving, with diver Michael Murphy achieving the honour.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106292129 |title=Murphy diving headlong towards greatness |newspaper=The Age |page=45 |date=27 August 1994}} During an international diving competition held in Vienna during June 1975, he finished fifth in the men's springboard event with a score of 501.15, in a competition where Australians finished among the top competitors.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110643267 |title=Diving |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=11 |date=23 June 1975}}

During the 1976 Summer Olympics, Wagstaff missed qualifying in his respective event by just 1.74 points, having finished ninth with 529.11 points. His coach Frank Murphy was critical of the judging panel, suggesting they were bias in their awarding of points towards competitors of their own country, in particular the points awarded by the Italian judge which he deemed a "fiasco". Murphy considered Wagstaff to have "a seemingly unbeatable lead" over fellow competitor Greg Louganis, who was then awarded a "phenomenal" 69.90 points in his final dive to secure his own place, although Murphy did concede that the dive difficulty undertaken by Louganis was higher than Wagstaff's.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110818709 |title=Wagstaff 'victim of bias' |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=43 |date=24 July 1976}}

In 1977, Wagstaff won the men's 3-metre springboard title during the Australian Winter Diving Championships, defeating John Pendall and having been 18 points clear by the 5th round and ultimately winning by a margin of 5.90 points.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110863922 |title=Wagstaff at best |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=30 |date=7 September 1977}} His last competitive event was in the 1978 Commonwealth Games, where he could only finish in 3rd place in the 3-metre springboard event, having previously won it on the last two occasions. When asked about the possibility of competing during the 1982 Commonwealth Games, which were held in his home country in the city of Brisbane, he conceded that he would "probably be in a Judge's chair by then".{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110901555 |title=Diver's high hopes |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=14 |date=8 August 1978}} He ultimately was a commentator for the 1982 games.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106292483 |title=The ABC of commentators |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |page=17 |date=29 September 1982}}

Post retirement

In the 1980 Birthday Honours list, Wagstaff was named as receiving an MBE for services to diving.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110976281?searchTerm=%22wagstaff%22 |title=1980 Birthday Honours List |newspaper=The Canberra Times |page=8 |date=31 December 1979}} He was presented with a special award by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in October 1982, in which he was included among 10 of Australia's best all-time athletes, yet only first heard about his award when he read the preceding day's newspaper.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106292685 |title=Don got it in writing |newspaper=The Age |page=30 |date=6 October 1982}}

Personal life

Born Donald Douglas Wagstaff, his father was in the navy during World War II and he would frequently dive from the mast of a destroyer into the ocean "just for the hell of it". His son Peter also took up diving.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106291721 |title=Walden is back with Melbourne |newspaper=The Age |page=14 |date=28 April 1987}}