Yesterday’s Athlete, Today’s Judge

GWANGJU – Anke Piper is one of the most experienced referees from Germany at the women’s competitions in the Nambu University International Aquatics Center. She became a referee after being a diver herself. Anke knows very well what the Universiade diving athletes feel when they are staying at the edge of the towering platform above the water. She was in their shoes at least once. Indeed, at the 1995 Summer Universiade in Fukoka, Japan she came in touch for the first time with this amazing youth event. In 2004, Anke Piper ended her diving career and started to experience a new way of life, the life of a FINA judge. After judging in Belgrade (2009), Shenzhen (2011) and Kazan (2013), this is her fourth Universiade as a judge. “For me the Universiade is a mix of the World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is a global event. All federations are here. It is very good competition.”

Looking back, Anke recognizes the difficulties of being a diver. “Among all those diving-related professions, the most complicated was being an athlete. I loved to be a diver. However, during competitions I was nervous, I was thinking about not showing what I really was able to do. My favorite thing in my referee career is the opportunity to meet old friends. We are like a family. Some of them, I know for more than 20 years. It is a pleasure to meet them time after time in different countries. It is a life-long friendship.”

Lubov Kudelko (BLR), FISU Young Reporter