Elizabeth Hamilton Jack

Like many top Tasmanian athletes before her, Elizabeth saw the need to travel and stay overseas to improve her performance. Elizabeth was an outstanding junior diver but the facilities in her home state were inadequate.

Noticed while diving at the junior Australian titles in 1975 by noted Canadian coach Don Webb, Elizabeth won a scholarship to attend university in Quebec and was persuaded to finish her education there as well as receive specific coaching from Webb.

Her improvement was rapid and she travelled the world to compete during the years 1975 to 1979. The highlight of her competitive career came with her selection as Australia's youngest ever diver - at 17 years of age - to compete at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in the 3 metre and platform events. She finished 21st and 20th respectively against the best divers in the world. In 1979, competing for Canada, Elizabeth had a very good year in international events with a 3rd, two 6th placings and a 14th.

Elizabeth retired from competitive diving in 1980 because of a chipped spinal bone which occurred while competing in 1977.

Her retirement gave her the opportunity to then become involved in coaching and administration. She was chosen by the Canadian Diving Association to be their head coach of teams on 24 separate occasions including the 1984 Olympic Games, the Diving World Cup in 1987 in Holland and the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.

During that coaching period Elizabeth produced and coached over 20 senior and junior Canadian national champions, including one Olympic Gold medallist and two other Olympic finalists as well as coaching Tasmania's Olympic finalist, Julie Kent in 1984.

In 1990, Elizabeth returned to Tasmania to become Director of the Tasmanian Institute of Sport. More recently her career was capped when she was selected as Competition Manager for Diving for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That appointment is a fitting reward for a distinguished Tasmanian athlete who has served as a role model for so many young Tasmanian athletes