Lawrence Andreasen
{{Short description|American diver (1945–1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image = Larry Andreasen (1964).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Andreasen in 1964, with bronze medal
| full_name = Lawrence Edwin Andreasen
| nickname = Larry
| nationality =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|11|13}}
| birth_place = Long Beach, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|10|26|1945|11|13}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Diver
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's diving}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze| 1964 Tokyo | Springboard}}
}}
Lawrence Edwin "Larry" Andreasen (November 13, 1945 – October 26, 1990) was an American diver. He represented his country at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he received the bronze medal in springboard diving.{{cite web |url=http://databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=16&sp=DIV |title=1964 Summer Olympics – Tokyo, Japan – Diving |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301091454/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=16&sp=DIV |archive-date=March 1, 2007 |website=databaseOlympics.com |access-date=August 14, 2008}}{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51254 |title=Larry Andreasen |work=Olympedia |access-date=July 7, 2023}}
Life
=Competition=
Andreasen started diving at the age of 14; his first dive was into the backyard pool of 1952 and 1956 Olympic diving champion Pat McCormick and her husband Glenn, whose house was on Andreasen's Seal Beach newspaper delivery route. When he was 17, Andreasen won a California state championship and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national junior{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/17763969/ |title=A Real Twister |date=July 8, 1963 |newspaper=Long Beach Independent |access-date=October 23, 2020}} and senior springboard championships,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1477751/ |title=Larry Andreasen scores with amazing dive |agency=UPI |date=August 10, 1963 |newspaper=Redlands Daily Facts |access-date=October 23, 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/107155267/ |title=Stickles, Stock Retain Crowns |agency=Associated Press |author=Liska, Jerry |date=August 10, 1963 |newspaper=Louisville Courier-Journal |access-date=October 23, 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381534911/ |title=Anaheim Diver Takes AAU Title |date=August 10, 1963 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 23, 2020}} and finished second in the AAU 10 metre platform dive.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vz0NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7321%2C1503731 |title=Schoolboy Natator in Big Upset |agency=AP |date=August 12, 1963 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=October 23, 2020}} He was later selected for the AAU team competing against a Japanese team in 1963,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/70355392/ |title=AAU Swimmers Head For Japan |date=August 12, 1963 |newspaper=Daily Independent Journal |access-date=October 23, 2020}} where he beat Toshio Yamano, Japan's representative for the 1960 3 metre springboard competition.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/376310077/ |title=U.S. Swim Team Sets Two More World Marks Against Japanese |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |date=August 19, 1963 |access-date=October 23, 2020}}
Andreasen's Tokyo 1964 finish capped an Olympic springboard diving medal sweep for the American team, with Ken Sitzberger and Frank Gorman placing first and second, respectively.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51526937/olympic-sweep/ |title=Olympic sweep |date=October 15, 1964 |newspaper=Arizona Republic |access-date=October 23, 2020}} Gorman had beaten Andreasen (second) and Sitzberger (third) at the U.S. Olympics trials the previous month.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/155752404/ |title=Navy diver wins berth in Olympics |date=September 5, 1964 |newspaper=The Morning News |access-date=October 23, 2020 |location=Wilmington, Delaware}} Just before his turn on the diving board, the Japanese diver ahead of him struck the board, and Andreasen jumped into the pool to pull him out.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/452470227/ |title=Deadly Plunge Has Audience In Suspense |date=November 4, 1990 |agency=AP |newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman |access-date=October 23, 2020}}
=Exhibition=
Andreasen was also noted for his exhibition diving, showcasing his talents at the dedication ceremonies for the Peck Park swimming pool in San Pedro in 1962.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/17692634/ |title=Swimming Show |date=May 26, 1962 |newspaper=Long Beach Independent |access-date=October 23, 2020}} When the Cunard Line's Queen Mary ocean liner was permanently retired in Long Beach harbor in 1967 as a tourist attraction, at the grand opening festivities Andreasen dove off the ship's bridge into the harbor, delighting the crowd although the impact heavily bruised his entire upper body for days afterward.
=Bridges and death=
In later years, Andreasen attempted on several occasions to set the record for the highest dive from a bridge. On September 29, 1988 he successfully jumped {{convert|160|ft}} from the Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach, California. A {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on}} overhang meant he could not attempt a dive headfirst, thus preventing him from breaking the record. He was cited for an infraction by the police for this undertaking, and he swore off further attempts, saying "I've had it with diving ... That's it, I'm retired" from the hospital where he was taken after the fall temporarily paralyzed his chest and arms.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-01-me-3997-story.html |title='The impact was much heavier than I anticipated.': Ex-Diver Jumps Back in |author=Carlton, Jim |date=October 1, 1988 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=November 21, 2016}}
In December 1988, he was talked down by police from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles in another attempt to break the record, later saying he "just wanted to see if he had the old Olympic stuff."{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-28-mn-1119-story.html |title=Olympic Diver Coaxed Off Thomas Bridge |author= |agency=AP |date=December 28, 1988 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=November 21, 2016}} Andreasen was arrested for trespassing at the same bridge in April 1989, and he was committed to Metropolitan State Hospital for his safety in March 1990, but was reported missing late in the evening of October 25. On October 26, 1990, Andreasen was killed after apparently diving from the {{convert|385|ft|adj=on}} west tower of the same bridge. His death was ruled an accident.{{cite book |last1=Wallechinsky |first1=David |authorlink1=David Wallechinsky |last2=Loucky |first2=Jaime |year=2012 |title=The Complete Book of the Olympics 2012 Edition |pages=593–594 |location=London |publisher=Aurum Press |isbn=978-1-84513-695-6}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{World Aquatics|1170456|Larry Edwin Andreasen}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|lawrence-edwin-andreasen|Lawrence Edwin Andreasen|org_id=larry-andreasen|org_name=Larry Andreasen|org_archive=20201030183214}}
- {{SR/Olympics|an/larry-andreasen-1|Larry Andreasen|archive=20161202205157}}
- {{databaseOlympics|ANDRELAR01|Larry Andreasen|archive=20160526222249}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andreasen, Lawrence}}
Category:Accidental deaths in California
Category:Divers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in diving
Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics