The evening world., 1920-07-20
Aileen Riggin, Metropolitan
Diving Champion, Says
She's Been yelling Her
Head Off" Over Selection
for Team.

/ aC3 1l1tls
When slender little Aileen Riggin,
Americas fancy diving prodigy. leaps
from the sprinEboard at the forth
coming Olympic Games in competition
with the best divers the world has
to offer. doubtless she will appear to
the eyes OF spectators from scores of
nations like a mere sprite cleaving the
air as her 1.-the body curves in a
graceful parabola to, the water.
Alleen, who Is so little and so youn.
-she cut the cake for her fourteenth
birthday anniversary on May last
that she Is numbered among the men,
/ bers OF Tho Evening World Klddie
/ klub, is nevertheless so skllful and
GRACEFUL diver that when the trans
port sails next Monday to bear the
/ All-America team to the Olympic
contests she will be a full -nedged
member Of the cotcrie of athletes
whose Drawn and skill are to uphold
the honor Of her country,
Just now Aileen Is spending very
! little of her time at her home, No. 1873
Remsen Street. Brooklyn, as every
spare moment before sailing is being
devoted to perfecung herself for the
great competition Daily she Is to be
seen at the bathing pavilion at Man
haitian Beach, where many OF Amer
ica's representatives in the Olympian
aquatics also are putting the finish
Ing touches upon their performances.
Aileen, who has TO her credit the
winning of 50 many contests that 1t
wouh be tresome to schedule all Of
them, is the metropolitan champion
for 1920 in the fancy diving class
from the sprlngbOaTd. That coveted
| title she won not from a groupy of
little girls, but from all comers.
| Dripping and radiantly happy,
Aileen, flanked by two other young
| girls who are to represent America in
the diving contests, was starting for
the bath house to-day when she was
held up by an Evening World re-
porter.
81 have scarcely any voice to talk
with" said Aileen, when the reporter
had informed her that many thou
sands of readers would like to know
just how Americas youngest Olym-
plan contestant looked upon the
chance to go to Belgium as one Of
tho team. And can you guess the
reason? I've simply been yelling my
head off ever since 1 was told l could
be on the team. Just think of being on
the All America team! Am l puffed
up with pride over being represent
ative OF the greatest country in the
whole world2 You answer. Alice. I'm
too hoarse."
She turned 10 one OF her compan-
Ions whom she introduced as Alice
Lord. Alice. who is eighteen, and who
lives at No. 14S7 East 10Th Street. in
Brooklyn, is to contest in the high
diving. Aileen also introduced Helen
Meany, fifteen, of Greenwich, Conn,
another high diving contestant bound
for the Olympics. Alice, thus appealed
to, responded:
"Aileen hasn't been hollerlng with
Joy over being chosen, any more than
have, IL l am four years older.
We're all simply crazy to 60"
"Well, anyway, did ever any one
on earth hear of such lark7" said
Aileen. "Why, I've only been doing
any diving worth mentioning for
about a year. and here I've been
chosen for the big games She
punctuated her talk with a little
squeal Of delight.
"Of course, we all may be terribly
/ seasick," said Aileen, but all that is
part of the game, and, anyway, who
cares! Not l, for one. So long az we
get theer safely, nothing else mat
ters. Think OF It, Alice, Helen, this
,, isn't n dream that will fade when we
wake up. We are going; we are go
ing-do you understand? We are
actually going!" She ceased talking
! to cut caper or two, and in that
, she was as grceful as in her diving
, speciality, for she Is an expert toe
; dancer as well as marvel in water
, sports,
Where did you learn TO swim" she
was asked,
ut was in the Philippines" she
p answered. you see my daddy-his
- name Is Mr.. Alexander Riggin, and
= he's the dandiest daddy a girl ever
had-is a paymaster in the United
4 States Navy. We We're in the Philip
pines when was about six years old
: and l learned to swim, very much like
= a duck does, l guess. 1t seems now
as If l always could swim, but that
isn't really true forf even what
/. learned in the Philippines was moth
ing TO what / was taught by Mrs
Adelne T. Muhlenberg. Three years
ago she began teaching me the trud-
0 geon crawl stroke, and a couple OF
d years ago l took up diving, but OF
d course at first l knew very little
a about that ! think my dancing helps
y me n lot in my diving, for II helps IT
y a girls pOise, and that is very neces.
: sary in diving. But 1t doesn't help al
j. all in swimming, that l can see-th,
d dancing doesn't, l mean"
I Aileen's mind leaped from past per