January, 2020, saw the demolition of the original dive towers at the Hall of Fame Aquatic Complex. These towers were built in 1965 with the original plans for the Hall of Fame pool. It was with mixed emotions that everyone watched it.
The dive towers at ISHOF have seen some of the greatest divers in the world, including a multitude of Olympic champions. In 1970, ISHOF hosted the first ever CAN-AM-MEX Meet, welcoming Canada, America and Mexico. It eventually became the International Diving Meet, inviting athletes from all over the world. From then on the best trained divers in the world started coming to Fort Lauderdale each May to attend, what became a favorite meet of everyone.
Olympic gold medalist, Micki King was a regular for many years. The Italian team with Klaus DiBiasi and Giorgio Cagnotto travelled to Fort Lauderdale for at least a decade. Cagnotto continued to come to Lauderdale after he became a coach and his daughter became an Olympic diver where she then followed in his footsteps. Other teams followed: the Canadian team, the Mexican team, the Russians, the Germans, the Swedish and even the Chinese came in the end. They all wanted to come to Fort Lauderdale and ISHOF to compete.
The meet became so popular that USA Diving and FINA took over the running and organization of the event. It then became known as the FINA Diving Grand Prix.
Greg Louganis started coming to Fort Lauderdale as an age-grouper and has won more meets than we can count off these towers.
And so with the demolition of these towers, an era has ended. The towers are gone, and so is the dive well. It's time to write a new chapter in diving at the Hall of Fame Aquatic Complex. Invite new divers, as well as other aquatic athletes, break new records and look to the future and what's to come.
Stay tuned........
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