Honoree Questions for: Klaus Dibiasi ~ Honor Diver
- You were inducted in 1981, tell us what you have been up to since then?
After the Moscow Olympics 1980 I was still in charge by the Italian Swimming Federation as National Head Coach and had many occasions to compete again with the Italian diving team in Ft. Lauderdale. In 2006 my father Carlo was introduced in the Hall of Fame as Pioneer Coach. Later I was Technical Director and on the board of the Federation. I was also in LEN and FINA for several years and now I am the Secretary of TDC in European Aquatics and am still working for the Federation.
2. What do you do for work / as a profession?
I am retired, but since 1990 I opened with my wife Laura Schermi in Roma the diving club named in memory of father “Papa Carlo”, A.S.D.Carlo Dibiasi. My work is then still with the Italian Swimming Federation as Technical Diving Collaborator.
3. Are you still involved in diving in any capacity?
I have spent my life in Diving and really love my sport. I am no more active as coach on pool-deck but am busy with my Diving Club and European Aquatics where I am involved in educational programs for judges and coaches.
4. Do you still stay in touch with any diving friends from your competition days, if so, who?
Of course, my best friend is Team-made Giorgio Cagnotto with whom I shared all my diving activity and coaching. I was in contact with coach Dick Smith, Dr. Sammy Lee, Dick Kimball and Carlos Giron for many years when they were alive and now, at the Paris Olympics 24 I have met again my friend Greg Louganis. Unfortunately, some good diving friends I competed with, passed already away.
5. If you have children, do your kids dive, if yes, tell us about them, if no, tell us about what they are involved in (sports, arts, etc.)
Yes, I have a daughter with my wife Laura, Elisa Dibiasi, who is really a sportive girl having practiced beside diving, skiing, tennis, kick boxing, climbing, canoeing and horse riding, (one time she rode the famous hors “Diver” of Dick Smith at his home).
She is now living in Ericeira, Portugal practicing surfing. She studied photography for three years in Roma and likes drawing and painting.
6. What is best memory of your days in diving? (You can have more than one)
1964 when we entered the first time the Olympic Pool build by Kenzo Tange, we realized that Olympics are special. Then, my last competition with Greg Louganis in Montreal 76 when I had my physical problems and could not train as expected, the experience and the mind power made there an incredible difference. Also the CAN-AM-MEX competitions from cold Canada to warm Ft.Lauderdale and Mexico were always my preferred diving experiences.
7. Seeing the changes that have occurred in diving/aquatics now versus when you were competing, do you wish you could have competed now, or are you glad you competed when you did and why?
First of all, you can’t compare different eras directly. Situations are much different. On one side I was really happy to have been diving in a period when diving was limited by DD table and really an amatorial activity without great pressure exalting beauty and technique. For that time, we have been the best physical prepared and technically guided athletes. Today it is much different, Pierre De Coubertin’s Olympic principles are almost overwritten and more effort is spent into diving by the federations and the athletes may have also economical profit. Since in 1994 the DD table has been opened and Chinese divers were admitted again the performances raised quickly showing all the hardest dives an individual can perform. Amazing for me was to see the video of Mexican Joaquin Capilla in 1951 trying a 4 1/2 somersault from 10m platform which was not allowed in competition that time. The spring boards have changed much and so the hurdle technique, permitting harder dives for men and women but the platform is still the same. Except economical reasons I am really happy to have lived in an era when diving came really from our heart and coaches were mostly volunteers…
8. Have you written a memoir/book about yourself, if yes, what’s the title and can our readers purchase it? If not, do you ever plan on written a book?
When I met again in Roma my good friend Mario Zanotelli, a diver from my club in Bolzano, and saw that he was a very good cartoonist with a strong sense of humor, I decided to write my book about diving “Tuffi per Tutti” (Diving for Everybody). The content is for any kind of diver from beginner to advanced, with technical advices. The humoristic notes are not missing and it is really fun to go through. Obviously, the introduction is a historical review of my life. The book is in Italian and available on Amazon and other book stores. An English version is planned soon.
9. Any advice to all the future want-to-be Olympic divers out there?
Diving is not an easy sport and needs years of practice to become competitive; that’s why you need to love what you are doing and having fun during even hard workouts. Trust your coaches and do not set too high targets too close. Each new dive you learn brings you a step forward and you can say “I made it” feeling great. It is like a castle to build starting with the first brick! Believe in it and remember, you will never finish to learn new dives!
10. As an Olympian, National Team Member, you travelled all over the world. What was your favorite place you visited, or your favorite meet to attend?
I can tell you that long time ago our Federation sent us to many European important Diving Meetings and never overseas. Then, when the time came to join the CAN-AM-MEX Diving Meetings, a different world was discovered and specially when we dove the first time in Ft. Lauderdale with all the friendly people and a really holiday climate, it was love at first sight. The competitions were high level and well organized. The specialty was the “Friday night show” before the competitions showing humoristic dives and special dives by some famous coaches with a small trampoline put on the 10m platform. The Hall of Fame Museum was also an amazing institution. I am glad about the restructuring done recently to the facility including the High Diving tower and the new Museum building keeping high history and actual needs for diving competitions.
I add a historical picture of high diving done when it was started in Ft Lauderdale as exhibition. An incredible height, must have been about 40m!!! I can’t remember the year….
