From left are Moss Farms Diving Tigers head coach Chris Heaton and Norman KL Chu, interpreter for Xu Yiming, an International Swimming Hall of Fame diving coach. They visited the Moose Moss Aquatic Center Tuesday to discuss the possibility of an international Olympic training facility in Moultrie.

MOULTRIE – For someone whose life has revolved around the sport of diving for six decades – and who might know a thing or two about what it takes to make a successful plunge from one to 10 meters above the surface of the water – getting his first look at a well-reputed facility is still a bit of a thrill.

Xu Yiming is as good as it gets when it comes to giving diving instruction. From 1984 to 2000, the native of China coached athletes from his country to 15 Olympic Gold medals – plus four Silvers and one Bronze for a total of 20. That time span also includes 21 top three medalists in the world championships.

So, in 2003, Xu Yiming was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an honor coach.

On Tuesday, he along with his interpreter Norman KL Chu made their first visit ever to the Moose Moss Aquatic Center. Arriving in the late afternoon hours, Xu Yiming was immediately drawn towards the pool and the boards as members of the Moss Farms Diving Tigers went through practice under coaches Chris Heaton and John Fox. The local divers gathered inside the dryland training building and listened as, through Chu, Xu Yiming enthusiastically explained winning diving techniques, how important safety is to him, and how he has in his career developed the FINA diving coaching manual and videos.

‘Going for the Gold’ is often heard in the USA at Olympic time. Xu Yiming trains for the Gold every day, and he sees the potential of the Moss Aquatic Center to bring more attention to Moultrie and take the sport of diving locally and beyond to the next level.

Needless to say, this coach brings extremely high standards, but he called the Moultrie diving well “very good.”

“The whole can be updated,” he said through his interpreter. “They have such a good pool, springboard. It’s very, very impressive. With local community that supports diving, having facility like that is not common (in China).”

Moultrie Mayor Bill McIntosh and his wife Katrina stopped by the aquatic center while Xu Yiming spoke to the divers. He told the visitors how much Moss Farms means to this community, how he wondered what the founder, Moose Moss, was thinking when he proposed building such a facility more than 20 years ago, but that it became a tremendous asset.

This was a move that touched the visitors.

“It is a showcase to me that this community has good strong focus on the sport of diving and emphasizing development,” said Xu Yiming. “I see the mayor and (Mrs. McIntosh) to come is wonderful. It shows the support, not just today but long term history of supporting the dryland.”

It’s been three generations that the Moss family has been connected as the founders of diving in Moultrie. Xu Yiming recognized how Moose Moss, during his service in World War II, supported China against its enemies.

“I see his spirit is inspirational to people here, to your family for generations. To attract Chris and John and the eyes of other coaches. How this can continue is our topic,” said Xu Yiming about the why of his visit. “The dryland is good; we will need to take it to a new level. Not the (outside), but inside with equipment and modifications so it can become very effective.

“All for the future Gold, Olympic Gold. My whole life is about Olympic Gold.”

Xu Yiming said his personal best for someone who was a good junior diver – not the top one – is less than four years to make that athlete a champion. Since stepping down from competitive coaching in 2003, he claims 32 breakthroughs in training methods over a 10-year period.

Xu Yiming was also involved in the coming together of both Chinese and American diving teams; he began his coaching career in 1973 after winning Gold himself in platform at a national event in 1972.

“I have important suggestion,” said Xu Yiming. “Learn from people at large involved in the US gymnastics community. I have been around this country with coach Norman and we see community after community field house, clubs, gymnastics is a very big sport. I see a diving participant can learn a lot from their route and their trek. You can think about talent sharing or talent transfer.”

The pair also visited IMG Academy in Florida, and he said going there can open up a lot of thinking in the diving community.

“You can get the model that fits this community, and I can support it technically with how to start to let this place to be center of the world in training, dryland and pool,” said Xu Yiming. “We can start in this direction, of all the diving and all different accountabilities, coach, divers, junior, senior, world champions, they would all come here.”

Xu Yiming is an innovator when it comes to training, especially in the dryland area. He is credited, according to his Hall of Fame page, with creating a device for use with a trampoline. It is where two pulleys are fixed to the ceiling and a belt attached to the waist. This increases the height of the jump and the speed of somersaults. He also designed competitive stadiums in China, each with a dryland training room.

It’s in Moultrie that Xu Yiming believes there can be that international diving training center he has aways envisioned.

“I continue contributing to diving,” he said. “I want to be really straightforward. We need to put together heads, plan, resources together. I can bring technology, methods, equipment here.

“I’ve learned a little bit from my own researching and visiting. I would say with your continued support maybe something could be put together, some good proposal and see what the city, what the community people can look into this new juncture.

“What I just said in particular is that your community, your mayor, (the Moss) family, coaches, I see an alignment of making this happen. If you want to attract outside money and resources to come here, I think to look at how to attract development minded diving people to come here.

“Once we can put this in with the right steps and details, this can be a way to develop this community.”

Xu Yiming said his own wife worked in the medical division of the Chinese sports bureau before retiring. He said he cares about his students – sometimes he called this his children – and how they recover and maintain top shape. He said this is another area that can be attracted to Moultrie.

He even said he’s a fan of agility and extreme sports, even to where he talked about stunt diving and cliff diving from distances way above the 10-meter platform. Xu Yiming and Norman KL Chu put forth thousands of miles traveling the country – Xu spends about half his time in China and half abroad while Norman is now an American citizen residing in Chicago – and they see open–mindedness when it comes to development of sports.

“If we can find ways to put it together, it would broaden the base of the divers,” he said.

He even went on to suggest the type of video he’s developed for FINA and coaches could be used to explain the plan and show it is not hearsay or a fly-by-night idea. He said it would give context for the resourceful people who might see this as a good idea for the area.

“It would allow Moultrie to have a world-renowned reputation in diving,” he said. “Other things related to this area would be showcased throughout this. It is because of the content and the state of the art training technology, the world would love to see this.”

In his home country, Xu Yiming said there are numerous communities that would love this type of promotion.

“I know how to get the Gold Medal trained for,” said Xu Yiming, who isn’t shy about saying he knows how to make things happen and attract crowds. Norman KL Chu threw in his own words about his friend:

“Sometimes I say it to people that he is like the Einstein or Newton in diving and coaching. I would not say this is too much because I have seen the depth and understanding and his mind working every day to look into diving. It is not like boasting. But if you can get his mindset … I think it’s like standing on the shoulder of a giant.”

“I’m actively sharing now,” said Xu Yiming adding there are other parts of the world he visits like in Mexico, Singapore and Hong Kong that are developing. “I say you can compete. I’m finalizing my report to FINA on how to popularize diving in the world. Say we progress on the next step and really have understanding, then this is a place that can commit to these steps I would put in report to FINA.”

What could result: Moultrie being the diving capital of the world.