Alfred Phillips

Biography

Canadian diver Alfred Phillips made the finals of every Olympic diving competition he entered. At Amsterdam 1928, he finished seventh in both the 3m springboard and platform. At Los Angeles 1932, he had a top all-time Olympic finish of fourth in the 3m springboard where the podium was swept by the USA, this result would not be beaten by a Canadian for more than 70 years (also seventh in the platform).

A two-time British Empire Games champion, Phillips was the first athlete to win two gold medals capturing the 3m springboard and platform titles in 1930 just eight hours apart. Nine times a national diving champion, Phillips started diving before he could swim. An all-round high school athlete, he was active in baseball and basketball. Born without sight in one eye, he didn’t box or play hockey like his brothers or father. Phillips won his first competition, the 1926 Canadian 3m Springboard Championships, and followed that up by winning the 1927 Canadian Platform Championships. His final competition was in England where he won the 3m springboard at the Highgate Diving Club in London. When he signed a professional contract to dive at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), he retired from amateur diving. Phillips started curling in 1948 and by 1955 he was competing at the Canadian Championships and later won the Canadian Seniors title. He passed his curling talents on to his son, Alf Jr., who won the 1967 Brier for Team Ontario, and competed at the World Championships. Phillips, Sr. passed away in Toronto the day after his 86^th birthday.

Phillips was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1976, Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1994, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.