Jan Hempel

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Jan Hempel

Personal information
Born	(1971-08-21) 21 August 1971 (age 52) Dresden, East Germany
Medal record Men’s diving Representing  Germany Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta 10 m platform 2000 Sydney Platform synchro World Championships 1998 Perth Platform synchro 1998 Perth 10 m platform European Championships Representing  East Germany 1987 Strasbourg 10 m platform 1989 Bonn 10 m platform 1989 Bonn 3 m springboard Representing  Germany 1993 Sheffield 3 m springboard 1997 Seville 10 m platform 1997 Seville Platform synchro 1999 Istanbul Platform synchro 1995 Vienna 3 m springboard 1995 Vienna 10 m platform 1993 Sheffield 10 m platform

Jan Hempel (born 21 August 1971) is a German diver who competed at the 1988, 1992, 1996, and the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning two Olympic medals. Hempel won a silver in 10 m Platform and a bronze medal in 10 m synchronized platform. He also competed on the 3m springboard, scoring "the second best dive of all time" in Vienna in 1993.

Olympic career

1988

Hempel made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Seoul, where he placed fifth.^{[citation needed]}

1992

Hempel returned to the Olympics in Barcelona, but again did not medal, placing fourth.^{[citation needed]}

1996

The third time was charm, as Hempel won silver in the 10 m platform, scoring 663.27. He saved his toughest dive for last. He nailed the back 11⁄2 somersault with 41⁄2 twists from the free position, earning 92.88 points. It was one of the two dives out of the 72 in the finals with a 3.6 degree of difficulty.^[1]

2000

In the inaugural men's 10 m synchronized platform event, Hempel, now 29, with partner Heiko Meyer won the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Games, earning Hempel his second medal in four Olympic appearances.

Meyer and first-time Olympian Heiko Meyer began training together in 1998 and won the bronze medal at the World Championships later that year. The pair also won the event at the 1999 European Championships.

Despite these achievements, Hempel came into the 2000 Games with modest expectations. Hempel stated, "If you had asked us before the competition, we wouldn't have thought we were a chance for a medal." However, the team pulled off a solid performance on the program's most difficult dive, a back 31⁄2 somersault tuck and reverse 31⁄2 somersault tuck, scoring 78.54. Hempel continued, "It has the most risk but it paid off for us."^[2]

Other appearances

European Diving Championships

In the European Diving Championships, Hempel had an illustrious career winning silver in 1987 in Strasbourg, France, bronze in 1989 in Bonn, Germany, gold in 1993 in Sheffield, England, and silver in 1995 in Vienna, Austria.^[3]

In 1997 in Seville, Spain, Hempel finally won a European highboard diving gold 10 years after taking the first of three silvers on the 10-meter board.

Hempel had been suffering from influenza for three days and considered pulling out of the competition. But he decided against it and was rewarded with the gold. "I'm happy it worked out at the sixth attempt", said Hempel. During the competition, he scored a rare perfect 10 mark.^[4]

After taking the silver in 1987, 1989 and 1995 and bronze in 1993, he had finally added a highboard gold to the European three-meter springboard gold he won in 1993.

At the 2003 Arena Diving Champions Cup in Stockholm, Sweden, Hempel, now 32, was described as the man "who wrote diving history", citing the second best dive of all time in the Diving Champions Cup 3m finals performing a back 11⁄2 somersault with 31⁄2 twists in Vienna 1993, for a fantastic 87.36 points.^[5]

Synchronized diving

With Meyer, the synchronized pair continued to compete in the event at the World Championships, through at least 2001. They also competed separately on the men's 10 m platform. Hempel placed 4th at the 2001 Goodwill Games.^[6]

Personal life

Hempel is a father of two. In summer of 2022, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.^[7]

Sexual abuse allegations against coach

In August 2022, Hempel revealed that his long-term coach Werner Langer sexually abused him over the course of 14 years. When he finally informed the German Swimming Association (DSV) they relieved the coach from duty but did not make the reason public or bring criminal charges.^[8]

In March 2023, media reported that Hempel was suing the DSV for compensation.^[9]

See also

• Diving at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre platform
• Diving at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's synchronized 10 metre platform

References