Ernst Brandsten
Ernst Magnus Brandsten 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 to 1947.
Biography
Brandsten was born on 13 June 1883 in Karlskoga, Sweden, to dealer Carl Magnus Andersson and Maria Pettersson. The family soon moved to Stockholm. In the early 1900s, he went to the United States and worked in diving shows, jumping from high heights.1912 Olympics
He competed in Diving at the 1912 [Summer Olympics – Men's 3 metre springboard|3 m springboard], 10 m platform and plain high diving at the 1912 Summer Olympics and finished seventh in the last event.Coaching
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 of Olympic competition, his divers won 25 Amateur Athletic Union national championships.Ernst and Greta Brandsten's trainees dominated international diving competitions, especially at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics.