Jennifer Kay Bellamy Chandler (born June 13, 1959) is a retired American diver who won the gold medal in the women's 3-metre springboard event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[1] She also won a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships. She is also a seven-time national diving champion.[2]
 Chandler in 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jennifer Kay Bellamy Chandler | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 30, 1959 Langdale, Alabama, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 lb (52 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Diving | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Ron O'Brien Diving School, Columbus | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Chandler started diving when she was nine. When she was 12 she went to the junior Olympics. In 1975 she won the AAU national indoor 1-meter springboard event. In 1976 she won the national indoor 3-meter springboard championship. She retired when she was 21 due to back injuries.[1]
Chandler was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) in 1985.[3] She was also inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1987.[4] Chandler has done work as an expert commentator for several national television networks. She became the educational outreach director for ASHOF in 2003.[5]
For 10 years, Chandler worked for the Lakeshore Foundation, a world-class rehabilitation and athletic training facility located in Birmingham, Alabama, as their development and special events coordinator.[6] In 2021, Chandler became the director of development for the Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham. Three years later, she became director of community outreach for the museum.[7]
She earned a BFA in drawing and painting from The University of Arizona. She was married to John W. Stevenson, the publisher and editor of The Randolph Leader in Roanoke, Alabama, until his death in 2019.[2][8] Chandler is also a painter with work on display through the Art of the Olympians organization.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jennifer Chandler". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014.
- ^ a b Trucks, Richard (August 5, 2016). "How a Career Ends: Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Chandler". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Jennifer Chandler
- ^ "International Swimming Hall of Fame: Jennifer Chandler (USA), 1987 Honor Diver". Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Alabama: Jennifer Chandler
- ^ "Lakeshore Foundation". Archived from the original on August 16, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ Grant, Rubin (July 9, 2024). "Life-Changing: Chandler Recalls Winning Diving Gold Medal at Montreal Olympics". Over the Mountain Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Obituary of John Wyatt Stevenson | Quattlebaum Funeral Home". quattlebaumfuneralhome.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
