A Houston native who earned a spot on four U.S. Olympic diving teams (’68, ’72, ’76, ’80), Potter was a 28-time national diving champion and world diver of the year three times.

She was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and at an early age she began her love of diving at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel, where there were swimming, diving and synchronized swimming teams. After swimming competitively for Coach Phil Hansel and diving for TSDHOF inductee coach Nancy Duty Cunningham, she eventually had to pick one of the aquatic disciplines. She excelled for Lamar High School in swimming because there was no diving team, all the while going off-campus to dive with Coach Nancy when time permitted.

At the time of high school graduation there were no collegiate athletic programs for women, but famed diving coach Hobie Billingsley at Indiana University contacted Potter and invited her to train with the male divers at IU. Never having set foot in the state of Indiana prior to that, Cynthia showed up in June, won her first national title that summer, and was named alternate to the 1968 Olympic Diving Team. Women were not given athletic scholarships until the mid ‘70s. 

Potter won 28 individual national titles to become the winningest woman diver in U.S. history. She also won 20 gold medals in world competitions and was voted “World Diver of the Year” three times. She competed in the sport of diving for the United States for a record 20 years, both on the springboard and the platform. She won a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, gold and silver in the World University Games in 1970, silver in the 1978 World Championships, and a bronze medal in the 1975 Pan American Games.

Since hanging up her suit, Potter has continued with just as successful a career out of the water, but sticking to what she loved best: diving. She was the diving coach at SMU from 1981-84, diving coach of the University of Arizona from 1984-96, and was owner and head coach of Arizona Diving, a club program in Tucson, from 1984-96. She has been a volunteer for Special Olympics, and for the U.S. Academy of Youth Sports Leadership in various cities, sponsored by the USOC, and has been an international diving judge for the United States. She has served on the USA Diving Board of Directors; served on the ISHOF Board of Directors, 2000-2005; was co-chair of USA Diving’s campaign to raise funds to benefit young divers; and served on almost every committee for USA Diving since her retirement in 1980. Potter is a trustee for the United States Diving Foundation and a volunteer for “Champions of Life,” an outreach program of the USOC.

Potter was inducted into International Swimming Hall of Fame, the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Lamar High School Hall of Fame. Serving on the Athlete Advisory Committee of the USOC and being a member of the Executive Board of the USOC in the ‘80s were also in the forefront of Potter’s continued involvement in the Olympic movement.

Potter is diving - when it comes to television. She has been an expert analyst for most high-profile events over the past 30-plus years, including the Olympic Games the USA Diving National Championships since 1984, and the Men and Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships since 1985.

“She has been a great ambassador for USA Diving,” said Linda Paul, President and CEO of USA Diving. Cynthia and her husband, Peter Lasser, established the Benjamin Foundation Coaches Performance Award, based on results from Olympic Games and World Championships. The gift to the United States Diving Foundation was made possible thanks to the efforts of Cynthia and Peter. Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin were Peter’s great aunt and uncle,

Thanks to Potter, USA Diving has created an event called “Rings of Honor,” USA Diving’s own Hall of Fame that celebrates the stellar history of USA Diving and honors those who have achieved excellence and contributed to the success of the sport. The first “Ring of Honor” event was held at the 2012 Olympic Trials, and USA Diving was able to formally recognize significant individuals in the sport.