Back on Board: Greg Louganis (2014) - full transcript

( theme music playing )

Announcer:
The following is a presentation
of HBO Sports.

( clanging )

( music playing )

Commentator:
Diver Greg Louganis--

reverse two and one half
somersault.

Commentator #2:
Some say "Lou-gannis"
and some say "Lou-gainis."

What is it?

Commentator #3:
And here he is--
Greg Louganis, 16 years old.

Interviewer:
Greg, you really have
the diving world at your feet.

I realize it's no fluke.



- Do you realize
it's no fluke?
- Uh...

- ( whistle blows )
- Commentator #4:
But I'll tell ya,

here's a young man
to be reckoned with.

Commentator #5: Nobody has
all of what Greg has.

He is the consummate
diver.

Commentator #6: Mechanically,
he's one of the soundest divers
I've ever seen,

but diving
is such a mental sport

and it's just awfully tough
to put it all together.

Commentator #7:
Everybody's wondering,

"Well, when is this kid
gonna falter?"

( phone line ringing )

Recording:
Thank you for calling
Bank of America.

We are a debt collector.

We have multiple loans
on record.



Are you calling
about your active loan?

Yes.

Was that a yes?

- Commentator: Yes!
- ( crowd cheering )

Commentator #2:
What an athlete.

Commentator #3:
Everyone agrees
he has perfect form

in one of the most
demanding individual events
in the world of sport-- diving.

Female commentator:
Best diver in the world.

The best diver
in the history of diving.

Commentator #4:
When you think of diving,
one name comes to mind,

and that's
Greg Louganis.

( overlapping voices )
Greg Louganis. Greg Louganis.

Greg Louganis
is your gold medal winner!

( music playing )

( crowd cheering,
applauding )

Announcer:
Well, ladies and gentlemen,
our grand marshal,

Olympic gold medalist,
we all know,

Greg Louganis!

Considered the greatest diver
in American history.

During his diving career,
he won an unprecedented
47 national,

13 world championships,

including two gold medals
in 1984

and one silver in '76.

- A real Olympian.
- Yeah.

- No fake ones here.
- Hold on, we're taking
lots of pictures.

Louganis:
Who is Greg Louganis?

What kind of question
is that?

Who is Greg Louganis?

Who is Greg Louganis?
I don't know.

It's interesting
because I know that if you talk
about Olympic diving...

...then my name is the one
that comes up.

But I've been absent
from diving

for, gosh,
close to 20 years.

Female reporter:
Do you remember four-time

Olympic gold diving champion
Greg Louganis?

Well, now there may be
a new reason to recall him.

Barbara Walters:
You were in the 1988 Olympics.

You hit your head
and there may have been
blood in the water.

- Mm-hmm.
- Why were you terrified?

Louganis:
Because...

I was HIV positive.

Oprah Winfrey:
So over the years,
has the secret of being gay

and HIV positive
exhausted you?

What now, Greg?

Who knows?

Who knows
what's around the corner?

( barking )

( door opens )

( door closes )

Okay.

Louganis:
Everybody thinks that...

I'm financially secure,
and I'm not.

They'll say, you know,
"Oh, an Olympic gold medal
is worth millions."

You know, that's not
the reality.

That really isn't
the reality.

I feel like I've been coming
from such a desperate place

because, I mean,
I, you know, haven't made
a mortgage payment

since October of 2010.

I'm selling all
of my belongings
just to make ends meet.

I put a lot of my stuff
on auction.

Meanwhile,
I was trying to work
with the bank

to try to remodify
my mortgage,

but they told me
that I had to default
on the loan

before they can sit down
and talk with me.

So I've been waiting
and waiting and waiting.

I've been in this house
for 27 years.

27 years is a long time.

That was the first thing
that I really wanted to do,
was have a home

because that was a sense
of security for me

and it was a symbol
of stability.

( clanging )

Louganis:
When I first got here,
I felt that house

was very reflective
of who I was

because you drive
onto the property,

you're looking
at a very modest
one-story house.

We walked around the back
and it's like, "Oh, my God,
there's a downstairs."

I was like, "Okay, this is it.
This is my dream house."

So I do wanna do
everything in my power
to try and keep it.

Announcer:
Today, the Olympic flag
is flying high.

This is the last time
our divers are going to be
seeing that flag

until they get
to Montreal, Canada.

We're going to see
some really spectacular diving
here today.

And here is Greg Louganis.

I've been working hard for this
and this is my first
Olympic trials

and I hope I do well.

Commentator:
He's currently in first place.
Can he keep it?

Commentator #2:
Oh, yeah, he'll get 10s
all the way across.

Commentator:
We have seen something
that we have not seen,

I don't think,
in 50 years,

a man qualifying in both
springboard and platform.

And it is Greg Louganis,
coached by the great
Sammy Lee.

He won two Olympic gold medals
from the platform himself.

You can't make a racehorse
out of a jackass.

You had a racehorse
and all you had to do

was get him
on the starting block
and he could do it.

I was a member
of the President's Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports

and they sent me
to observe

the Junior Olympics
at the Air Force Academy.

And I saw
this 10-year-old boy diving.

And I said,
"There potentially
is the greatest diver

in the history of our sport
if he wants to be."

When Greg's father called me
and asked whether I would
coach his son,

it was music to my ears.

And he drove him up
every weekend.

With my dad,
it was kind of a love-hate

because there was
a bit of a resentment

because all of a sudden
now he's interested.

I was adopted when I was
eight and a half months.

My mom always showed me
unconditional love.

I knew that she loved me
and she cared about me,

but my dad was always
rather standoffish to me.

I always felt that there was
a price on everything,

especially the price
on his love.

I had a few tapes
that played in my head
growing up.

You know,
I was adopted.

My real parents
didn't want me.

My skin was darker
than the rest of the kids
at my school.

It was a regular occurrence
getting beat up.

I got called
a lot of names--

nigger, sissy boy,
faggot, retard.

I had a very difficult time
with reading

and I found out later
that I was dyslexic.

I remember
I turned to my mom
and I said,

"I can understand how a person
can die of sadness."

I mean, as a kid, you know,
you just wanna be accepted.

So when I was competing
in diving,

I had to be the best.

I felt that it was
the only thing that I had
to offer.

There were a lot of seconds
and thirds.

It made an Olympic gold medal
that much more important.

Commentator: Here is the boy
who's excited everyone
in Cleveland today--

Greg Louganis.

He's just so beautiful.

Even if he gets it wrong,
he looks beautiful.

- Do you think
you can win the gold?
- I don't know. I hope so.

Well, if it isn't this time,
it'll be sometime,
I'm sure of that.

Good luck.

Lee:
I invited him
to live with me

because I wanted him to beat
Klaus Dibiasi of Italy.

Commentator:
Dibiasi is the current
world champion

and the platform dive
gold medal winner

in the last two Olympics.

Lee:
I wanted Greg
to prevent Klaus Dibiasi

from breaking my record
of winning

two consecutive
gold medals.

Commentator:
I hope that he's
in a semicoma

and all he thinks about
is the dive

and not the significance
of the championship.

- ( whistle blows )
- Louganis: His dream
became my dream.

It was my coach's honor.

And I was just such a kid,
so I was trying not to
embarrass myself.

Commentator:
Greg Louganis will lead
the qualifiers.

Keep in mind, however,
all the scores prior to now
are thrown out.

They'll start over again
and you will see all the 10
dives coming up.

What everyone's
looking forward to

in the tower final
here tomorrow night

is the tussle
between the 16-year-old
American youth Louganis

and 28-year-old
defending champion
Klaus Dibiasi.

Commentator #2:
Coming to you live right now
with Greg Louganis.

Commentator #3:
Generally his best dive

- and he's gonna
have to do it here.
- ( whistle blows )

- Commentator #3: Oh, way over!
- ( crowd groans )

Commentator #2: I don't know
what happened-- all of a sudden
just before the entry.

That cost him
a gold medal.

Commentator #3:
It's just a shame that Greg
couldn't do that dive

the way he did it
yesterday.

Well, I was upset
because I like to win.

I don't like to lose.

Commentator #2:
Greg Louganis wins the silver,

but the old veteran,
Klaus Dibiasi,

has made
Olympic history tonight.

Commentator #4:
Greg Louganis...

he's still waiting
in the wings just a bit.

Louganis:
I went there to win

and then when
I fell short of that,
I felt like a failure.

Everybody else around me
was celebrating.

I was a sophomore
in high school.

I was thinking,
"Who would ever
understand me?"

You know,
what I was going through,
what I was feeling.

Interviewer:
Do you know at one point
that you're special?

Do you know at one point
that you're better than
everybody else?

When you came
back to school
after Montreal,

did the kids, the classmates,
tell you how good you were?

No, I think I got
the reverse.

You know,
all these big, macho
football players and all,

I was taking
some of the limelight
from them.

And, you know,
they resented that.

They didn't like that
one bit,

so, you know,
I'm just...

It was-- it was rough.
It was rough.

Louganis:
The focus is just,
you know, trying--

trying to make ends meet.

I'm thinking, "Get a job,
get a job, get a job."

I do have to make
a living.

After I retired from diving,
I did exhibitions,

I did commercials,
speaking engagements,

personal appearances
and then got into acting.

Sometimes you have
a real good month.

Sometimes you have
nothing.

You know? And I've lived
through the nothings a lot.

The reason why I got the RV
a few years ago

was because
we were preparing
for the worst.

We thought the banks would be
acting a lot faster,

you know,
in the foreclosure process.

It's hard to find a place
with four dogs.

So, at least we can live
in the RV.

I don't know that I--
that I wanna live
out of my RV,

but, you know,
at least it's there.

You know, just looking
for opportunities.

( chatter )

Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,
a big Boston welcome

- for Greg Louganis!
- ( crowd cheering,
applauding )

Folks, we will
remind you guys again,

we're so happy
that you've joined us
out here for this,

the Red Bull
cliff diving event
in Boston.

Announcer:
Fine, solid entry
on that one.

And let's see
what the judges
are liking.

And, yeah, they do like it.
Seven and a halfs and eights.

- But are you guys
having a great time?
- ( crowd cheering )

- Are you guys having
a great time?
- Man: Yes!

Louganis:
The show must go on.

Even though there was
a lot of personal turmoil
that was going on,

you know,
I do my job.

And that's to be on
and in front of all
these people.

Red Bull is paying me
for, you know, judging

and being there to meet
and greet the fans.

- Can I have
an autograph, please?
- Sure. What's your name?

- Julian.
- Julian.

Louganis:
In your mind
you're contemplating,

"Okay, now what's
my next step?"

- You're a great American.
Always been a fan of yours.
- Thank you.

Thank you.
Thanks, thanks.

Would it be possible
to get you to say, "Good luck
to Boston Area Divers"

with the Boston skyline
in the back?

Or is that too much?

Louganis:
It is interesting
because after 25 years,

they still remember.

But, you know,
for all of these years,

I didn't feel welcome
in diving,

you know,
whether it be jealousies
or whatever it was...

homophobia--
I don't know.

I retired from diving
when I was 28.

Making that transition,
you know, was tough.

I think the thing
that I miss most in diving

is the regularity
of a schedule

and that devotion to being
physically active.

And also not having
to think, you know,

because my coach was telling me
what I needed to do.

Real life doesn't work
that way.

Louganis:
I'd just like to see
more and more young people

get involved in diving
as a sport.

The important thing
is be careful,
be cautious.

Whenever you're diving,
you should always know
how deep it is.

The kind of competitive diving
I do requires years
of training

under the supervision
of a great coach like
Ron O'Brien.

Woman:
Wow, what kind
of stamina does it take

to go off this
repeatedly?

I mean, the pounding
must be terrific
on the body.

- Well, it is hard.
- Yeah.

You hit the water
at about 32 miles an hour.

And at that speed
it can be pretty punishing.

Louganis:
When I first went to him,
he was the god of diving.

You know,
I worshipped him.

Ron is-- is the one
who got me.

He knew
that I was a performer.

When I knew that I was
in good shape,

he'd say,
"Just keep dancing."

It's like,
"Okay, doing pretty good,

so, you know, just gotta
keep the flow going."

O'Brien: I've never had
a diver with the amount
of natural ability

- that Greg has.
- ( whistle blows )

It's his body build,
which is very straight
and symmetrical.

It's his strength
and power.

He is able to create
the illusion

that what he's doing
has no effort to it
whatsoever.

I could've stood
on the poolside and said,

"Nice dive, nice dive,
good dive, nice dive"

all day long
because they all were.

So I realized
that I had to demand
a little more from him

than I did
from the others.

Louganis:
He knew that I needed
to be challenged

and he was creative enough
to figure out

how he could challenge me.

Not just medals,
not just national titles.

He started challenging me
with performance goals.

I was so excited
about, you know,

"gosh, breaking 700
on 10 meter platform."

O'Brien:
I tried to coach him

not to do good dives
or very good dives,

but to do
as close to perfect
as you can get.

Announcer:
Look at this.

Greg Louganis
scores perfect 10s.

Announcer #2:
And in first place,
from Mission Viejo,

- Mr. Greg Louganis...
- ( cheering, applause )

...coached by Ron O'Brien.

Interviewer:
It's a year later now

and a year closer
to the Olympic Games.

May I add a little pressure
and tell you we're all
looking forward

to you winning
the Olympic gold?

- I'm sorry.
- ( laughs ) Sure.

- Good luck.
- Thank you very much.

O'Brien: By 1980
at the Olympic trials,

Greg won both springboard
and the platform

and was prepared
to collect

the gold medal
that he didn't get in 1976.

And then,
as most everybody knows,

the Russians invaded
Afghanistan.

And I have notified
the Olympic Committee

that with Soviet
invading forces
in Afghanistan,

neither the American people
nor I will support

sending an Olympic team
to Moscow.

O'Brien:
A hot dog
on the White House lawn

and a handshake
from President Carter
didn't quite do it

because he did--
he did want that gold medal
around his neck.

In retrospect,
I feel the athletes
really got cheated.

Louganis:
Had I gone in 1980,

had I been successful,
I probably would've moved on.

Diving was something
I was good at.

It wasn't something
I was particularly enjoying
at the time.

Greg, that last one
was really good,

but if you want a chance
to get 10s on that dive,

you're gonna have to
get your right arm up
a little higher...

O'Brien:
Excellence is such
an obsessive pursuit

of a goal...

- All right.
- ...that it transcends
everything else in life.

Louganis:
It was a strange time for me.

I became much more
introverted

and I directed all my time
and energy into diving.

And I think
that enabled me

to become the best.

I think it was
a hindrance

as far as being able
to relate to other people

because I didn't take
an interest.

O'Brien:
In a sport like diving,

you can feel
pretty isolated and alone.

You're out there
in this little Speedo.

You can't say,
"Well, he didn't pass me
the ball" or whatever.

It's totally up to you.

So when you have somebody
that you trust,

that you can--
you can lean on...

it helps to diffuse
that feeling of isolation.

( chatter )

Greg Louganis captured
America's attention
in the 1980s

with his
picture-perfect dives
and good looks.

Since the Seoul games
in 1988,

he has largely remained
out of the diving spotlight.

- Male anchor: But he's back.
- Reporter: Yes, he is back.

The Southern Californian
many call the best diver ever

has joined USA Diving
as a mentor.

- We're excited.
We've got London and...
- Yeah.

- And now you know
what to do.
- Yeah.

He's a good businessman.

When Steve Foley became
high performance director
of USA Diving,

he came to the house

and he said,
"How do we get you back
involved in diving?"

And I, like, looked at him
and I said, "Ask."

And he said,
"You've never been asked?"

I said, "No,
nor have I felt welcome."

( chatter )

Steve said that
he can't do anything...

about the past,
but we can move forward.

So then we started talking
about what I had to offer.

And what we came up with
was mentoring.

So I have taken
that chance

of putting myself
back involved in diving,

sharing my experience,
sharing what I learned.

Foley:
Greg lets them know
everything--

how to think
about performance,
not outcomes.

And it's actually a great key
to success, we hope,

for the future
of our Olympic divers.

- Man: Three.
- Foley: Who better than
the greatest of all time

to give us his wisdom?

I don't see things
oftentimes

the same way a coach
would see it.

When it comes down to it,
it's really not about numbers.

- Like, it's that moment
in time, you know?
- Nick McCrory: Yeah.

I was just wondering
'cause, you know, you learn

how to deal
with the scope
and everything.

You deserve to be there.

Yeah, you really have
to step into it and own it

and say, "You know what?

Today is my day
and I'm here, present,

and it'll be
what it'll be."

Louganis:
It'll come to you.

I'm making a lot of changes,
which is making it hard,

- but I don't wanna give--
- You wanna learn everything,
like, now, okay?

But you learn in layers,
and then comes another layer,

and then comes
another layer.

I mean,
that's how we learn.

I remember back
at the last Olympic

we didn't have Greg at all
involved with diving.

I think it kind of
hindered it.

It definitely helps
every single diver

because of the experience
that he brings from his past.

Louganis:
Olympians aren't
made overnight.

That was what my life was
and what I was dedicated to.

When I was growing up,

you know,
I asked my mom,
you know,

"Why can't I be normal?"
( chuckles )

You know, like, do--
do the things that
normal kids do.

You know,
it's-- it's lonely.

You miss out on a lot.

You know,
I'm having my doubts.

I don't know if it--

if it was really
all worth it.

O'Brien: You know,
my concern through
the whole period of time

was that I knew he was gonna
quit diving sometime

and he's got life
after diving.

And I wanted him to go
out of the sport
with some--

with values
and feel good
about himself.

I made a commitment to him
to help him out.

So I-- I started
to get into his moods...

say,
"What's the matter, Greg?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

Louganis:
I might be described
as moody

during, you know,
those years

because I would withdraw
and I wouldn't--

I couldn't articulate
what I was going through.

During that time,
I mean,

I was in denial
of my sexuality.

Back in '76,
I was hanging out
with Soviet divers

because they were closer
to my age.

It wasn't really
anything.

It may have been
a little bit more
than that, but, you know,

'cause I was kind of attracted
to one of the Soviet divers.

But some of my teammates
were calling me the Commie fag.

It was a small team

and so nobody wanted
to room with the fag.

Kent Ferguson:
I remember kind of sitting
in one of those meetings

and people going,
"Well...

you know, I'm not gonna room
with Greg" or whatever.

I was just like,
"Screw it, you guys.
Are you kidding me?

- Come on. Whatever."
- Yeah.

And then I think that's
when you and I started
rooming together

- more and more
and just...
- Louganis: Yeah.

- Yeah.
- Ferguson: That was
totally-- BTF Club.

Remember, it was the BTF Club,
which is the Beat the Fag Club.

- Beat the Fag Club.
- Oh, my gosh, I do
remember that, yeah.

Ferguson:
I remember coming out
of our dorm rooms

and you're
looking at the doors
and seeing these signs--

BTF Club, BTF Club
all the way through.

And you're like,
"That's Beat the Fag Club."

Yeah.

And just thinking,
"God, if this is what
being gay is about

and, you know, the--
the best diver in the world
is going through all this

and I'm just me,
what's gonna happen
to me, you know?

You know,
it's that whole thing.
You were at the top.

And people do
whatever they do
to, you know, try to--

Well, if they can't beat you
on the boards, they try and
beat you off the boards.

Exactly, but, you know--

I know
it's all speculation,

but had I come out
while I was diving,

I think in the media

I would have been
the gay athlete,

the gay diver,
you know?

And that would be
the headline.

But the truth of it is,
is, like, you're a diver,

you're, you know--
you're a son,

- you're-- it's a part
of who we are.
- Yeah.

- You know?
- It's-- yeah,
and just a part.

Who you love
is who you love.

You know, you're here,
you're gonna dive,

you're gonna compete
and this is what
you do, but--

- It'll be nice
when it's a nonissue.
- Clark: Yeah.

( conversation continues
indistinctly )

Louganis:
At that time,
everybody in the diving world

knew about
my sexual orientation.

But, I mean,
it wasn't without--

you know, like the names
that they called Ron's team--

Mission Gay,
Fort Lauderdale Flamers,

you know,
that sort of thing.

O'Brien:
My feeling was you don't choose
to be gay, you're gay.

I don't choose
to be heterosexual,
I'm heterosexual.

The first time I met Jim,
I think it was at a bar.

I think it was
the Boom Boom Room
or something like that.

He could be
quite charming.

I think initially,
I was relieved in a way,

excited that this guy
found me attractive.

I enjoyed the affection
that I was starved for.

I mean,
I also realized that

if you don't trust anyone,

then you might as well
lock yourself up
in the house

because, I mean,
you'll spend the rest
of your life alone.

Reporter: Once, Greg had
almost tunnel vision about
dedication to his sport.

Now friends
like Michele Mitchell
and Jim Babbitt mean more.

Louganis:
I was out to my family
and friends, you know?

It was just my policy
not to discuss my sexuality

with members
of the media.

So would you
welcome Greg Louganis
and Dr. Ron O'Brien.

- ( applause )
- Johnny Carson: Greg,
it's good to meet ya.

You are just
incredible to watch.

You must have started
when you were how young?

- Well, I started tumbling
when I was a year and a half.
- Right.

And then got into dance.

- A year and a half,
did you say?
- Yeah.

Ah. That's the time
to start, I guess.

The training has changed
a lot, hasn't it, Ron?

Yeah, it has, Johnny.

A diver will do a dive
50 or 60 times

in dry-land training
before doing it in the pool
the first time.

Let's start with a forward
two and a half pike.

- ( applause )
- And you're looking forward
to the 1984 Olympics?

- Yep.
- I don't know
how you can miss.

Congratulations.
You're just sensational.

Ron, thanks
for being here.

Before we get on
with the competition,

we must report
on a tragic event

that occurred after we went
off the air here yesterday.

A 21-year-old diver
from the Soviet Union,

Sergei Salibashvili,

fractured his skull
after hitting his head
on the platform

during a dive in yesterday's
preliminary competition.

What about the dive
he was attempting,

that reverse
three and a half?

Well, this one was just added
to the international
table of dives

and people like Greg Louganis
do it and can do it well.

So the Soviet diver,
in order to attempt
to compete with Greg,

is trying to use it
and he's really not ready to.

Louganis:
You know, I just felt
responsible.

We were the only two
doing that dive.

O'Brien: That's probably
the hardest dive
he ever learned.

He had to see
that he couldn't reach

the goals
that he was trying
to reach

unless he did the dive
that gave him the motivation

to overcome the fear
and do it.

He had a little signal
he would give me

when he was nervous.

Divers all use a shammy--

a little thing like this
and it takes the water off.

If he was
a little nervous,

he would roll his shammy up
a certain way

and come over
before his first dive

and give it to me
to hold for him.

That was my signal

to spend a little more time
with him in between dives,

tell him some--
maybe a dirty joke
or something to make him laugh,

keep his mind occupied.

And that worked for us.

Female commentator:
This is the most difficult dive

that can be performed
off the 10 meter platform.

- Commentator: Oh, wow!
- Female commentator:
Oh, my goodness!

That was absolutely
gorgeous.

Commentator:
Standing ovation
for Greg Louganis.

Final dive
in these Olympic trials.

Louganis:
With the help of Ron,

you know, I realized that,
you know what,

this--
I really like this.

You know, I'm good at it,
but I also really like it.

Female commentator:
Greg now being on the team

has a chance to win
a gold medal

in both of those events
in the Olympics.

( cheering, applause )

Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,
a salute

to the nations
of the 23rd Olympiad.

O'Brien:
The Olympic stage
is unlike anything else.

Commentator:
Look at the crowd here.
They love it.

O'Brien:
And Greg was at his peak.

Commentator:
Now the man,
Greg Louganis,

a back dive pike position.

Let's see just how good
this young man is.

- ( cheering, applause )
- ( commentator laughs )

- Whoo!
- Female commentator:
He looked like ballet in air.

Commentator:
Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, my.
- Female commentator:
That was a gorgeous dive.

- ( cheering, applause )
- Commentator: You are
watching perfection,

ladies and gentlemen.

Louganis:
Everything was
working so well.

And I was able to open
the blinders up,

take everything in,

and utilize
that exhilaration.

Commentator:
Ha!

Female commentator:
It doesn't look too tough
when Greg does it.

Commentator:
Greg Louganis wins his first
gold medal at an Olympics.

Louganis:
It was eight years
before I had a chance

to prove myself to win
my first gold medal.

And I don't think it hit
until after the platform,

you know,
because I didn't
wanna let up

because I wanted
two gold medals.

- Announcer: Greg Louganis...
- Commentator: He's trying
to become the first man

since 1928
to win gold medals

- in springboard and platform.
- ( whistle blows )

Female commentator:
You saw that beautiful
swan dive position

right off the tower.

When he dove
on the 10 meter platform,

I feel that that was
his greatest performance.

I thought you stood up
too straight,

but it didn't matter,
you were so damn high.

I felt that he set
the standard at that point
for the rest of the world

that if you're gonna do
the hard dives,

you have to do them
with grace and beauty.

Commentator:
And now to the man,

his last dive
in these Olympics.

He needs 81.92
to break 700 points.

Nobody's ever done that.

That is the Mount Everest
of this sport.

( whistle blows )

Louganis:
You don't know why,

you don't know
where it's coming from,

you don't know
the motivation behind it,

that a performance
in diving

is and should be

as emotional as any
incredibly written play.

( cheering, applause )

O'Brien:
700! Whoo-hoo!

Whoo-hoo!

Commentator:
He did it!

He did it!

Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,
the results are official.

Number one, Greg Louganis,
United States--

710.91 points.

Commentator:
Greg Louganis,
scoring more points

than any man
has ever scored before,
gets the gold.

Female commentator:
He could be the greatest diver
ever to dive.

O'Brien:
After the 1984 Olympic Games,

he had just won
two gold medals.

First man to do that
since 1928.

He was a big name.

- ( crowd cheering )
- How you doing?

Real good.

- Two gold?
- Yep.

This gentleman,
when he gets up to dive,

- I think he's been
made by Mattel.
- ( applause )

Man:
I've never seen
anything that exciting

on my television screen
before

or probably
ever will again.

- We all wish you well.
- Thanks.

O'Brien:
I thought that he would
gain financially

and unfortunately,
it didn't happen.

In the advertising world
as in the Olympics,

not everyone
gets the gold.

- ( crowd cheering )
- Man: Mary Lou,

how do you do?

Just fine, thank you.

Retton signed
15 big endorsement deals,

among them Wheaties
and McDonald's.

This year, the Olympic pixie
will make a king-sized
million dollars plus.

- Why Mary Lou?
- Are you kidding?
She's adorable.

I mean, she's cuter
than a teddy bear.

I'm not the cutesy
Mary Lou Retton.

I think that
that's wonderful for her

and it works for her,
but it wouldn't work for me.

Louganis:
Ooh.

- Very young.
( laughs )
- Yeah.

That must have been like
when I was 15 or something.

And that was here
at the Swimming Hall
of Fame, I think.

Yeah.

Wow.

That was so sweet.

Yeah, never got
a Wheaties box.

( laughs )

Their response was
that I didn't fit

their "wholesome"...

demographics or whatever.

Basically, you know,

being gay
or being rumored
that I was gay.

I do think had he been
a straight athlete,

he would have made
millions.

- ( chatter )
- Woman: Oh, Greg Louganis!

Oh, my God!

- Hi! Oh, my gosh.
- You're my hero.
I love you!

- I watched
every dive my whole life.
- Oh, thank you, thank you.

- Oh, he's so terrific!
- Thank you.

Announcer:
Please welcome to the stage
Miss Shannon Miller...

- Mr. Carl Lewis...
- ( crowd cheers )

Mr. Greg Louganis.

Louganis:
This is a very real way

that you can give
to the Olympic athletes.

And we all know what they're
going through right now.

The Olympics have been
part of all of us

for our lives
because once an Olympian,
you're always an Olympian.

So it's really exciting to be
back here with all of you.

Hi, I'm Greg Louganis

and we're gonna be
talking about mentoring

the next generation
of athletes.

Ultimately, my passion
is the aftercare.

What happens
to the athletes,

you know, whether they're
successful or not successful.

What happens to them?
Where do they go?

How do they reacclimate
into society?

They dedicated
their entire lives
to their sport

and then what?

So many of our
Olympic heroes,

they fall through
the cracks, you know?

Speedy committed suicide
last year.

We lost Mark Lenzi,
you know, just recently.

Because I've had
my issues, too, you know?

Trusting the wrong people

and not-- not knowing
the questions to ask.

Louganis:
Because I didn't have
the normal socialization

that most children have.

You know, I was usually
just given a schedule.

"This is what
you're doing today."

And I'm now 52
and looking to grow up.

This is a big deal today.

Louganis:
With an Olympian-to-Olympian
mentoring program,

you can share
what your journey was
with these young athletes.

Let them know
that they're not alone.

Just give them
some support.

And also, I mean,
I'd love for them

to not make
some of the decisions
that I've made

in my life, you know,
to save them some
of that heartache.

Louganis:
I always had in mind
for the house--

I wanted to, you know,
get solar.

I wanted to make it
energy efficient.

And then I was introduced
to this one contractor.

She came in
and basically said,
"Oh, you've got black mold.

That's the reason
why you've been having
all these health issues."

You know, and I was.

I was terrified.

With a compromised
immune system,

it was a life or death
situation.

You know, I believed her,
I trusted her,

and they pushed
the loan through.

They kind of took
all of the equity
out of my house.

I mean, the place
was half demolished

because she said the work
had to be done immediately.

You know,
as it turned out,
it was a scam.

I never saw the money.

And then I was paying
on the loan.

O'Brien:
Being in the limelight
like he was

and being a nice guy
with a good heart
and whatever,

he was vulnerable to people
taking advantage of him.

Louganis:
I had become accustomed

to pushing
all the problems aside.

At the time, Jim was also
my business manager.

He was my eyes and ears
to the world.

He wanted to control
every aspect of my life

and he did
and I allowed him to.

And then '84 happened
and two-- win two gold medals.

I mean,
I think he saw me

as his meal ticket.

O'Brien:
I thought Jim was a user

and he was a-- kind of,
you know, a con man.

He had a story
for every situation

and a situation
for every story.

Louganis:
You know, diving was
an escape from reality.

( man speaking Spanish )

Louganis:
I would go to
a world championships

and come back and...

an atomic bomb
could've gone off
and I wouldn't have known it.

( crowd chanting )
Talk about AIDS!
Talk about AIDS!

Talk about AIDS!

Reporter:
Since it was first
recognized in June 1981,

the incidence of AIDS
has doubled every six months.

The diagnosis always fatal.

Reporter #2:
There is no known cure

and every day four to five
new cases are discovered.

Reporter #3:
And most frightening,
the possibility that the virus

can be transmitted
from person to person,

virtually a contagious form
of cancer.

Protestors:
Educate, don't isolate!

Reporter #4:
That's why today
police used gloves

while arresting
gay demonstrators.

Reporter #5:
Nearly one out of seven
people polled

said they would favor
tattooing all AIDS victims

and better than half
said they should be
quarantined.

Louganis:
I was still with Jim
at the time.

Jim called me and was having
difficulty breathing,

so he checked himself
into the hospital.

He had full-blown AIDS.

So I went in
and got tested.

Louganis:
It was an Olympic year.

It was a very
important year.

And-- and that was it.

I was gonna pack up
and go home.

I didn't wanna jeopardize
anybody else,

and if I'm unable
to compete,

that's two people
that I would be preventing

from the ability to go
to the Olympics.

It was several weeks past
before I said anything to Ron.

He knew something was wrong,
and so after a workout

he asked me
what was going on,
what was wrong.

And...

I told him that I was tested
and I was positive.

O'Brien:
He just blurted it out.

My thought was,
"What does that mean?

Where do we go
from here?

Is this the end
of the line?"

Louganis:
He didn't wanna show that--
how scared he was to me.

And then came over
and he held me.

And he said we'll get
through this together.

Louganis:
I heard about, you know,
the demonstrations

and the arrests
and ACT UP.

I-- I trained through
all of that.

You know,
I wasn't an activist.

You know,
I was just this athlete

who had Olympic dreams.

It was a very, very,
very small group of people

who were in
on the secret.

They encouraged me
that the healthiest thing
for me

was to continue training.

Reporter:
An AIDS cure
is 15 years away,

but this week
the first real hope
for containing the disease

began arriving
at hospitals-- AZT.

They wanted to treat me
very aggressively,

so they put me on AZT
right away.

O'Brien:
He had to take medicine
every four hours,

so he was not able
to sleep through the night.

Louganis:
AZT is an incredibly
toxic drug,

but I knew I had--
I had to take it,

you know, that's what
my doctor said.

Louganis:
There was a lot of things
that were going on

behind the scenes
of that whole entire
experience.

'88 began
my true love affair

with this sport,
you know,

because I loved it.

I loved going to training,

I loved going--
doing the work

because I didn't think
I would live.

And so, you know,
for me to be here today

you know, 20 some-odd
years later

and be able to talk to you
and share these stories,

I mean, is just
such a blessing to me.

You don't achieve greatness
on your own

and you can lean
on people.

Don't be afraid
to ask for help.

You know, and that's what--
I wanna be there for you,
you know?

Hopefully, you know?

I wanna be there for you.

He emphasized
that he didn't want me

to train him
any differently.

He knew the cards
were stacked
against him.

Louganis:
The Chinese had caught up
to me by that time.

I knew I was gonna be
hard-pressed,

you know,
to be successful in '88.

O'Brien:
The only way to be
remembered in history

40 or 50 years from now
as being the ultimate,
the greatest

is the record you leave.

Louganis:
Talk about having
your back, you know?

As a coach, he smuggled
my HIV meds into Seoul

just in case.

I wouldn't have been allowed
in the country

had anybody known
my HIV status.

Commentator:
Preliminaries of the men's
three meter springboard

in Chamshil
Indoor Swimming Pool.

Louganis:
I always have wanted my record
to speak for itself.

O'Brien:
Expectations
put pressure on you

before you even
do anything.

Female announcer:
Greg Louganis, 053.

A reverse two and one half
somersault tuck.

3.0.

Commentator:
And now Greg Louganis.

- ( thuds )
- ( crowd gasps )

Commentator #2:
Louganis hits the board.

That is disaster.

Louganis:
I just held my head.

But I just wanted
to hold the blood in

or, you know,
just not anybody touch it.

O'Brien:
Honestly, I never
thought about HIV.

I guess I was just
so focused

on getting him
through...

helping him to win
his two gold medals.

That was my focus.

I said, "Do you wanna
continue?"

He said we worked too long
and too hard

to not continue.

"How much time do we have?"

"We got about 12 minutes

till you gotta do
your next dive."

O'Brien:
"How much time do we have?"

"Oh, about six,
seven minutes."

Louganis:
Once I hit the board,

any ounce of confidence
that I had was gone.

O'Brien:
Greg, if you can't
believe in yourself,

at least believe in me.

Put your faith in me
and I'll help you.

Commentator #3:
Fives or better,

he will make it
into the finals.

Threes or less
in his last two dives,

he would not make it
into the 12.

- ( cheering, applause )
- Female announcer:
Greg Louganis.

( speaking Korean )

Commentator:
Yes!

Commentator #4:
What an athlete!

He got the highest scores
on that dive

of anybody
in the contest that day
or the next day.

It was just an error
in judgment.

Female reporter:
Are you feeling okay?

I'm just concentrating
on tomorrow.

Female reporter:
How do you get up there
and do it again after that?

Louganis:
I kept playing the dive
over and over in my head...

trying to figure out
what I had done wrong.

I didn't know
what my responsibility was

because I knew I was
HIV positive.

The people
on the pool deck,

the-- you know, the coaches,
the doctor who sewed me up.

He stitched my head up
without surgical gloves.

The blood that was
in the pool,

the blood that
might've spilled
onto the deck.

And then the alarm
goes off.

I have to take
my medicine.

- I didn't sleep.
- ( crowd cheering )

Commentator:
We are back for the finals

of the men's springboard
competition.

O'Brien: I just had
to kind of kick his butt
a little bit right then

and say,
"God damn it,
it was a fluke.

You can do this dive.
Don't let it get to you."

Commentator:
We are now in the 11th
and final round.

Greg Louganis
has one more dive.

Female announcer:
307C.

- A reverse three and
one-half somersault tuck.
- ( whistle blows )

Commentator:
The courageous American
Greg Louganis

won his second gold medal
in springboard diving,

a great comeback
a day after he hit his head
on the board.

Female announcer:
The gold medalist
and Olympic champion--

Greg Louganis
of the United States
of America.

( speaking Korean )

Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,

our standing
at the end of round is nine.

Female announcer:
Leading-- Xiong Ni,
Greg Louganis...

Commentator #2:
He has his opportunity
to go in the record book

as the very best diver
who ever lived.

- ( whistle blows )
- Commentator: Louganis
in second place,

the final dive
of his competition,

his last chance.

( crowd applauds )

Commentator:
He needed 85.6.

He earned 86.7.

( cheering )

O'Brien:
Whoo! Whoo!

You did it, buddy!
Oh, buddy.

That's a hell of a way
to do it.

Remember, Klaus had to do it
on his last dive to beat you.

( laughs )

- Man: You did it!
- O'Brien: In those moments,

I looked
at where he came from...

and where he was.

And I was proud
to be a part of that.

I was put on this earth
to do something in diving

and I did it.

This was what I was
supposed to do.

Louganis:
I knew in my heart

that those were my last
competitive dives.

You know, it's over.

Louganis:
After '88, I wasn't
paying attention

to what my financial
position was.

I had heard rumors
about...

you know,
things that Jim was doing.

I learned that I had
$2,000 to my name.

Everything else
was held in his name

and he had
power of attorney,

so he could do, you know,
basically whatever he wanted.

It had gotten to a point

where Jim said
if I got rid of him,

then he was gonna
destroy me.

That he was gonna take me
to hell with him.

He threatened to,
you know, sell my story,

he was gonna kill me,

he was gonna blow
my fucking brains out.

Tell the world
that you infected me
with AIDS.

So...

it did take
a lot of courage.

Female reporter:
It is 10 years since reports

started emerging
in the United States

that a new disease
appeared to be spreading.

Female reporter #2:
100 Americans are dying
every single day.

Louganis:
We thought HIV
is a death sentence.

There wasn't
a whole lot of hope

for a lot of people
at that time

because people were dying
right and left.

At times, there was
some guilt over that.

You know, it's like,
well, I'm getting

probably the best treatment
that anybody could ask for

or that was available
at the time.

There was one scare
in '93.

I had lost
a lot of weight.

I knew that
that was a definite possibility
that that was it.

I had my 33rd birthday

because I thought I was
saying goodbye to everybody.

( people cheering )

♪ Happy birthday to you! ♪

Louganis:
Very few of the people
who were invited

knew the significance

or what I thought
the significance was.

'Cause that's when
I came out to my mom

about my HIV status.

Frances Louganis: It hurts.
I can't do anything.

I've thought about it
every day since.

Eric Marcus:
Mrs. Louganis,
just for the tape,

if you can just
identify yourself
with your full name.

Frances:
Oh, I'm Frances Louganis,
Greg Louganis's mom.

Marcus:
And, Greg, just to have
a sound check on you.

Louganis:
I'm Greg Louganis.

Marcus:
February 2nd, 1994.
Interviewer is Eric Marcus.

Frances:
Are you gonna put
all this in the book?

Louganis:
Yeah.

Frances: So you are gonna
come out in the book
that you are gay?

Louganis:
Mm-hmm.

Frances:
What type of reaction

do you think
you're gonna get, son?

Louganis:
Um...

Honestly,
I don't know.

- Frances: Do you care?
- Louganis: No.

Marcus:
What's changed for you,

that you don't want
to continue hiding?

Louganis: You know,
AIDS is indiscriminate.

I mean,
I've taken notice

of all the breaking news.

Like, Arthur Ashe
was in the hospital

and then Magic Johnson.

But the fact
of the matter is...

has anybody come out
and said,

"I'm gay
and I'm HIV positive"

or "I'm gay
and I have AIDS"?

No.

Frances:
It's too risky.

I don't want to have
to see him sell his home,

his one and only home
that he's loved,

you know,
because of this book.

Louganis:
I don't know
how much time I have.

I realized
how important it is
to do this now

because I want--
I wanna see it done.

My name is Greg Louganis.

I'm gay
and I'm HIV positive.

A man considered to be
the greatest diver
in Olympic history

has announced today
that he has AIDS.

Reporter:
If it had been
almost any other disease,

everyone would be talking
about his courage.

But it was the AIDS virus

and it was the dive
Louganis missed on his way
to that medal

that everyone's talking
about now.

Walters: We checked
with the International
Olympic Committee

and they said that Greg
was under no obligation

to divulge his secret
even after he hit his head
on the board.

Would it have been
this complicated,

say, if you were
not this, you know,

the greatest diver
of all times

in the history of the world
since there ever was
a diving board?

I had every expectation
that if I went public

with the fact that I'm gay
that no one would want
to hire me

and that I would lose
my house.

How would
a smart guy like you

practice unsafe sex?

I...

I'm not following.

How'd you get AIDS?

I'm sure I was
probably exposed

before they knew
about unsafe sex.

Larry King:
Oh, so you're pretty sure
of that?

- Yeah.
- Do you feel in yourself

that you might live
a long while?

Yeah, I think so.

- I hope so.
- You're confident.

Think or hope
is a different thing.

Are you confident
that you will?

Louganis:
Uh... who knows?

You know, the shame,
the guilt, you know,

all of this stuff
that I was feeling,

I knew, you know,
if I were going through that,

that I probably wasn't
the only one,

that, you know,
there were probably
others out there.

I just didn't know
that there were that many.

Man on bullhorn:
Folks, we wanna make sure
that everyone that's in line

has already picked up
their copy of the book.

Female reporter:
Parking lot was awash
in a sea of umbrellas today.

Hundreds stood
in the rain for hours

just for the chance
to see Louganis.

I mean, he could've
just kept his HIV status
to himself,

but he came out
telling it like it is.

Woman: He's done something
not a lot of people have
the courage to do

and I'm out here
to support him.

Female reporter:
"Breaking the Surface" sold out

about half an hour
after hitting shelves.

The Greg Louganis story
seems to have struck a nerve

with people gay
and straight.

They say if Greg Louganis
has the courage to do this,

so do they.

( reporters clamoring )

Man:
Greg, to your right, Greg.

Man #2:
Greg, in the corner,
please, Greg.

AIDS, it's here.
It's not gone away.

It's not "manageable."

- There's a lot
of hope here tonight.
- There's a lot of hope.

Do you feel a lot of hope
in this fight against AIDS?

The biggest hope
is to find a cure.

You know, that's--
that's the goal.

And finally,
where do you watch
the Olympics?

Do you go to the Olympics?
Or how does that work?

Well, this time--
this time--

I haven't been
to an Olympics
since Atlanta.

And I'm gonna be in London,
I'm gonna be working

with the athletes
and the coaches
as athlete mentor.

- So it's really exciting.
- That's so great.

- Well, I'll be watching.
Thank you so much.
- Great, great.

It was such
a pleasure to meet you.
Have a great night.

Thank you. Thanks.

Louganis:
I mean, had I been
heterosexual,

two and a half kids,

you know,
HIV negative,

I'm sure life would have
been very different,

you know, for--
you know, for me.

Supposed to take this...

I'm not the easiest person
to have a relationship with

because it seems
that oftentimes

people that
I've been involved with
kind of get lost in my stuff.

With Johnny,
he has his own life.

He has his own interests

and he has
his own passions.

I used to bring
the Danes down here.

Johnny Chaillot:
All five of them?

And I was like,
"Oh, he's handsome."

Chaillot:
The first profile
that came up

was Greg Louganis
kissing a dolphin.

It was like,
"I'm not contacting
Greg Louganis.

That's ridiculous."

Louganis:
And I, like, winked at him
or something

and then he responded back

and then, you know,

he said, well, you know,
let's-- let's get together.

It just felt,

you know, so comfortable
and so right.

Chaillot:
As I got to know him,

I realized that...

he's just like
everybody else,

he just played his life out
on the world stage.

Louganis:
I don't have to be on
all the time.

There's a comfort
with that, you know,

and a confidence
with that.

( both laughing )

Louganis:
I love his attitude.

Every morning we wake up,
it's like,

"I wonder what the universe
has in store for us today?"

( phone line ringing )

Recording:
Thank you for calling
Bank of America.

We are a debt collector.

Your call may be
monitored or recorded
for quality assurance.

Woman:
This is Joselyn
with Loan Servicing

and just keep in mind
you do have the right

to designate a certified
counselor, advisor,

or attorney
to represent you.

Louganis:
I mean, I just
got notice last week.

I mean, I knew
this day would come.

I, you know--
I had no doubt.

You know, and financial--
my financial position
has changed a bit.

And, you know,
potentially,

they might consider
a remodification.

I don't know.

Joselyn: Right, and this
is where you would get
prequalified for it

if you can even do
a modification.

If you qualify,
then we'll send it over
for a case manager.

If not, you would have to
come up with the full
reinstatement amount,

otherwise the home
will be sold on the 22nd.

I don't have a lot
of options here, do I?

Joselyn:
No, there aren't
many options to you.

Louganis:
If the auction goes through,

they can take immediate
occupancy of the residence,

so I have to be ready to have
everything that I want
out of the house.

We're doing
the yes or no
for this--

- this area right here.
- Okay.

Actually, I mean,
I think all of this stuff

I've already
been through once...

- Uh-huh.
- ...and this is
what I wanna keep.

Oh, okay, good.

That's super easy.

You wanna keep your moose?

What about
Scooby-Doo and, um...

- Scooby-Doo is
kind of special.
- Okay.

Louganis:
I'm paralyzed because
I don't know what to do.

That's what
the situation is
right now.

It's like kind of crunch time
before I leave the country.

I mean, I did have Johnny
to get boxes boxed

and, you know,
movers were coming.

I really appreciate that.

I owe him big time
on that one.

Flight attendant on P.A.:
Ladies and gentlemen,

if you have
a fast-track voucher,

after descent
from this aircraft,

please follow
the fast-track signs

on the entry
of the immigration hall...

- Interviewer: Greg,
good morning.
- Good morning.

A pleasure
to have you with us.

The greatest diver
in Olympic history.

And this, of course,
is the first time
since, what, '96

- that you've been
to an Olympic Games?
- Yeah!

So you've obviously made up
with the United States
Diving Federation.

And you have publicly
blamed homophobia
in the sport

as one of the reasons
why you stayed away.

Do you think that we've made
some progress there?

Oh, definitely, we've made
tremendous progress.

I mean, that's the reason
why I'm back.

Now, he was brought on,
the first person to be
doing this,

as a mentor
for the US diving team.

I'm working
with the athletes
in preparation,

but I'll also work with them,
what's going on outside
of the pool.

It's all connected.

It really is.
It's all connected.

There's been
such a radical change now
in public opinion about HIV

precisely because
of people like you.

You know,
that was pretty scary.

You know, I didn't know
how people were gonna react.

Piers Morgan:
What do you make
of where you've got to now?

Are you in a--
in a good place now?

You-- have you come through
all the traumas and dramas
of what went on?

Yeah, definitely.
I mean, 'cause back in 1988,

honestly, I didn't think
that I'd see 30.

I've been averaging
two to three interviews
a day.

- Closer to five.
- Closer to five?

Five interviews a day.

Yikes.

It's amazing.

When I saw Greg on Piers Morgan
and CNN at the London Games,

I really felt inspired

because people living
with HIV are still people.

People like Greg
have proven that HIV
does not have to stop you.

And HIV is not
gonna stop me.

You know, you do interviews
and you spout off crap

and you just never know
what's gonna land,

you know, what people
are gonna hear,

how they're gonna react.

You know,
but when I read that,
it was like...

just couldn't believe it.

I just try and, you know,
do what's right for me.

You know, and you do
what's right for you first

and a lot of times
the by-product of that

can have a positive effect.

- ( chatter )
- Chaillot: Greg!

Louganis!

Chaillot:
He called me and I heard
in his voice that he was tired

and it's like
I know I can help him.

I'm going to the Olympics
and I'm gonna find him.

And they were like,
"There are 300,000 people
at the Olympics."

It's like,
"I'm gonna find him."

And here we are.

You know?

- Here you go.
- Okay.

( chuckles )
Oh, God.

- How long do I have? Oh.
- 30 minutes.

Okay.

Commentator:
No American has won
this 10 meter platform event

since the great Greg Louganis
in '88 in Seoul.

David Boudia,

23-year-old
from Abilene in Texas.

Commentator #2:
He is one dive from
a gold medal.

Female commentator:
You're looking for 90 points.

He's gonna be close.

- ( crowd cheering )
- ( mouths word )

- Female commentator: Yes!
- Commentator: And David Boudia
has won gold!

I saw a difference
in the demeanor of the divers
and the coaches

in that they were
more relaxed

and we ended up
with four medals,

which is the best we've done
in a long time.

It was shocking
and amazing.

I'm just so happy
that we won.

Commentator #2:
Boudia becomes the first
American male diver

to win a solo diving gold
in the 10 meter platform

since Greg Louganis.

Louganis:
God, I never would've
thought of myself

as an ambassador
to anything,

but, you know,
to be put in that position,

mentoring has really opened
my eyes to realize

that, yeah, I do have
something to offer, you know?

( chatter )

Louganis:
I know when I was younger,
I wanted a home.

That was something
that was very important to me

because then I felt like
I had roots.

But after
all of the events

that have happened
thus far in my life,

I realize, you know,
my home is where I make it.

10 years ago,
I would've just run

and just not wanna--
wanna deal with it.

But, you know, I realized
I need to take more control.

And so we were able
to get our loan modification

that I can live with.

It doesn't address
getting the house fixed up,

but one hurdle at a time,
one step at a time.

( chatter )

- O'Brien: You going down here?
- I've been wanting to do this
for a long time.

Have a seat.

Yeah, Mary Jane, come on.

My wife--
she doesn't wanna talk,
but that's all she does.

- She always talks.
- I know.

Louganis:
I was asked what I felt
my most shining moment

of my diving career was

and I'd have to say
men's platform 1984.

Mm, I agree.
You were 100%.

- I couldn't have done it
without you.
- Thank you.

So I wanted
to present you
the medal.

- Mary Jane: Wow!
- Wow.

Thanks, Greg.

Louganis:
It was a shining moment

when we were, like,
so together and in sync.

- It was great.
- Yeah.

- Thank you, Greg.
- Yeah.

( sniffles )

- We had a great run,
didn't we?
- We did.

- Yep. Yep.
- 10 years.

- 10 great years.
- Yeah. Yeah.

( clangs )

O'Brien:
Over time,
he reinvented himself.

I'm proud
of that accomplishment

as much as I am
of his diving

because he made himself
into a new person.

( crowd cheering )

Female reporter:
Now holding hands, kissing,
waving the rainbow flag,

any of those
could get gays and lesbians

and their supporters
sent to jail in Russia.

Female reporter #2:
Putin signed a measure in June

banning public expression
of homosexual identity.

( crowd chanting )
Gay rights for Russia!

Female reporter #2:
Some opponents of the laws

are urging a boycott
of the Winter Olympics

set for February
in the Russian city of Sochi.

Interviewer:
Greg, it's great
to have you on.

So what's the right way
for people gay and straight
in this country

to say, "We don't like
your-- your stupid law"?

Boycotts hurt
the wrong people.

Cooper:
So you wouldn't try to make
some sort of statement

- while competing?
- Louganis: Oh,
I probably would.

- I'd get a rainbow Speedo.
- Get a rainbow Speedo.

Same sex marriage supporters
around the country

are celebrating
two big decisions this week

by the US Supreme Court.

Louganis:
The one fear
that my mom always had for me

is that I would have to
spend my life alone
as a gay man.

And now that has changed.

Our parents
are no longer with us,

but I have found
my soul mate.

I mean, it's--
it really is inevitable
that we're together.

- Greg Louganis,
Johnny Chaillot...
- Thank you.

- ...congratulations
on your engagement.
- Thank you.

I've always said again
and again and again

I'm not political,
I'm not political,
I'm not political.

I kept all of those worlds
separate--

my sexual identity,
diving,

but now I--
I see the connection.

I view it more
as just being myself.

I'm a gay man
living with HIV

and...

who is not afraid
to stand up and speak out.

( music playing )

I now pronounce you
husbands

legally married
in the great state
of California.

- You may kiss your grooms.
- ( cheering, applause )

( music playing )

Announcer:
This has been a presentation
of HBO Sports.