Background
Born in Saint Pierre, Manitoba, Canada, Desjardins grew up in Florida.
Born in Saint Pierre, Manitoba, Canada, Desjardins grew up in Florida.
Stanford University.
At the 1928 Games Desjardins had the maximum score for two of his springboard dives, but his platform gold medal was unexpected. He performed swimming exhibitions in the Billy Rose"s Aquacade, together with Johnny Weismuller, Martha Norelius and Helen Meany, for which he was declared a professional. He continued to appear in the Aquacade until World World War II, and later performed in diving shows through the 1960s.
In 1924 he won the silver medal in the 3 m springboard competition and finished sixth in the plain high diving event. Four years later he won gold medals in the 3 meter springboard and 10 meter platform. Farid Simaika from Egypt initially won the competition, and the Egyptian anthem was already being played at the award ceremony, when the judges reconsidered their scoring and placed Desjardins first. Desjardins studied economics at Stanford University and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame, though he never won a collegiate championship.
