McGill University Athletics

George Dimitri Athans was born in Vancouver, B.C., on Jan. 4, 1921 and is the father of George Athans, Jr., the renowned Canadian waterskiing champion who went on to a television broadcasting career. After earning an arts degree from the University of Washington, George Sr., entered medical school at McGill, where he found time to be a four-sport athlete, while juggling three jobs. A member of the swimming & diving team from 1944 to 1948, he also played varsity basketball in addition to soccer and rugby. Athans, who competed as a diver for Canada at 1936 Berlin Olympics (where he finished 25th in 10-metre platform), won four consecutive Canadian intercollegiate diving championships at McGill.  After graduating with a medical degree in 1948, he competed for Canada at 1948 London Olympics, where he finished eighth in 10m platform and ninth in the 3m springboard). A double medallist at both the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney and the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland. Athans was inducted to Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1953 and served as a coach with Canadian Olympic diving team at 1960 Rome Olympics. He later moved to Kelowna, B.C., where he served 25 years as a physician, before moving back to Vancouver.

Inducted into the hall of fame - Oct 19, 06