Bruce Kimball
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June 11, 1963 (age 55) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bruce D. Kimball (born June 11, 1963) is an American diver and coach. He won a silver medal for the 10 meter platform at the 1984 Summer Olympics, placing behind fellow American, Greg Louganis. Kimball was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Three years before the Olympics, in 1981, Kimball was struck head-on by a drunken driver. Every bone in his face was fractured, his left leg broken, the ligaments in his knee torn, his liver was lacerated, he had a depressed skull fracture and his spleen had to be removed. This being one of the worst experiences of his life, he did come back to diving. When he returned to diving nine months later, he earned the nickname "The Comeback Kid". The accident occurred in October 1981. When he returned to diving in the summer of 1982, he made the World Championships on platform and earned a bronze medal.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics, he overtook Li Kongzheng with his final dive to win the silver medal.
On August 1, 1988, two weeks before the U.S. Olympic diving trials, Kimball, drunk, plowed into a crowd of teenagers while driving an estimated 70 to 90 miles per hour (110 to 140 km/h) killing two boys and injuring four others.[1] Despite the tragedy, Kimball took part in the trials, but failed to make the team.[1] He subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to seventeen years in prison. He was released on November 24, 1993, after serving less than five years.[1] As a part of his sentence, his driving privileges were permanently revoked by Judge Harry Lee Coe, yet they were reinstated in 2018.
He is currently a Kinetic Wellness teacher and diving coach for the swimming and diving teams at New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois. As of 2008, he is married and has three children. His father is Dick Kimball, who coached nine divers to Olympic medals.
References
- "Sincerely, Bruce D. Kimball", St Petersburg Times, by Susan Taylor Martin, July 27, 2003.
- "Kimball, who killed two teens, can get driver's license again", CBS Sports Online, December 22, 2004.