Ernst Brandsten

Ernst Brandsten
Personal information
Born13 June 1883
Karlskoga, Sweden
Died17 May 1965 (aged 81)
Santa Clara, California, United States
Sport
SportDiving
ClubSK Neptun, Stockholm

Ernst Magnus Brandsten (13 June 1883 – 17 May 1965) was a Swedish diver who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics for Sweden in Springboard, Platform, and High diving. He was the swimming, water polo and diving coach for Stanford University from 1916-1947.[1][2]

Brandsten was born on June 13, 1883 in Karlscoga, Sweden, the central hub for the development of modern diving. In 1902, he graduated from the Stockholm School for Diving.[3]

1912 Olympics

[edit]

He competed in 3 m springboard, 10 m platform and plain high diving at the 1912 Summer Olympics and finished seventh in the last event.[4][5][3]

Coaching

[edit]

After the Olympics, Brandsten immigrated to the United States, where he married the Swedish diver Greta Johansson who also competed at the 1912 Olympics. The couple trained divers, swimmers, and water polo players at Stanford University from 1916 to 1947 and operated the sports recreation facility, Searsville Lake Park. Brandsten was a U.S. Olympic Diving Coach four times. During his time as a U.S. Olympic coach in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936, his American divers captured 42 of 51 men’s and women’s diving medals. His Stanford athletes, consisting of both divers and swimmers, won nine Olympic gold medals. Outside Olympic competition, his divers won 25 Amateur Athletic Union national championships.[3][1]

Ernst and Greta Brandsten's trainees dominated international diving competitions, especially at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics.

Honors

[edit]

Ernst and Greta were both inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame: Brandsten as a swimming and diving coach in 1966,[6] and Johansson as a diver in 1973.[3][7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Stewart, David O., Stanford Magazine, Stanford's Big Splash". stanfordmag.org. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Ernst Brandsten". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "GRETA JOHANSON BRANDSTEN (SWE) 1973 Honor Diver". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  4. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ernst Brandsten". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Ernst Brandsten". sok.se (in Swedish). Swedish Olympic Committee.
  6. ^ "ERNST BRANDSTEN (SWE/USA) 1966 Honor Coach". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Greta Johansson". sok.se (in Swedish). Swedish Olympic Committee.