Farid Simaika

Farid Simaika (Egyptian Arabic: فريد سميكة 12 June 1907 – 11 September 1943) was an Olympic diver who competed for Egypt.

Simaika was born on 12 June 1907 in Alexandria[1] to one of the oldest Coptic families which can trace their ancestry to the middle of the 17th century.

[1][3][4] The Charleston Gazette gives a more detailed account as to why Simaika had his gold medal withdrawn: “The finals in the men's diving saw one of the most curious incidents of the Olympiad.

But soon afterwards it was announced that a majority of the Judges by a vote of 5 to 4 had decided that Desjardins of Miami was the winner with the best general average of points for the eight dives”.

diving titles, Simaika went on to star in the various world's fair water shows from Chicago's Century of Progress to the Billy Rose's Aquacade in Cleveland and New York.

During the same year they also toured the US, exhibiting at various local American water carnivals, as part of a national program “to help stimulate interest in swimming and diving”.

[6] Simaika appeared in three Hollywood films: he did diving stunts in Seas Beneath (1931) directed by John Ford.

[6] The year 1943 saw Simaika training at Lowry Field in Colorado as an assistant intelligence officer of a bombardment group preparing for overseas action.