Kelly McCormick Robertson
Class of 1978
Hometown: Long Beach
Current Residence: Auburn, Washington
The daughter of two Diving Hall of Famers, Kelly also made a name for herself on the International stage in that sport. Her mother, Pat McCormick was the first female to win back- to- back diving double Olympic gold medals in succession (1952, 1956) in the 3m springboard and 10m platform events. Her dad, Glenn McCormick, was a famed diving coach and Kelly’s first trainer and coach during her younger years.
Kelly’s first sport was gymnastics, and by the age of 13 she was an elite gymnast on the same team with Olympian and Griffin alum Cathy Rigby.
At age 14, Kelly began “playing around” with diving, and by 1981 had made the national team, and over the next ten years became a major figure of international status.
In 1982 Kelly won the first of 9 National Championships (6-3m springboard, 3-10m platform) and an AIAW 3m springboard championship. In 1983 she won the Pan American Games gold medal, but in 1984 she battled a back injury that hospitalized her for six weeks before the Olympic trials. After Vince convinced her not to quit, she recovered to win the Trials and then the Olympic silver medal on the 3m springboard in Los Angeles behind Canada’s Hall of Famer Sylvie Bernier.
In her second Pan American Games (1987, Indianapolis) Kelly took the gold becoming the first woman to win two consecutive Pan Am springboard gold medals. She won the 1988 Olympic trials with a torn calf muscle and the Olympic bronze medal in Seoul behind Hall of Famer Gao Min of China.
After completing college at Ohio State she relocated to the Seattle, Washington area with husband Matt Robertson, and as head coach of the Emerald Diving Team, has been developing young divers to perhaps one day take her place as one of the world’s great divers.
