Biography.guide
Home › People › Competitive diver › Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen
Portrait of Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen

1931 – 2017

Diver

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen

Lived 1931 – 2017 (aged 86). Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen was an American competitive diver.

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen (née Olsen; February 11, 1931 – September 23, 2017) was an American diver. She competed in the 3 m springboard at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and won a silver and a bronze medal, respectively. During her career Olsen won 12 AAU diving titles, starting from 1945 as a 14-year-old. In 1949 she married the football and baseball player Jackie Jensen, and divorced him in 1968.

Early years Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Olsen-Jensen is the daughter of Art Olsen and Norma Bragstad Olsen. Her father was a coach and school principal; her mother taught swimming and was described as "a pioneer of synchronized swimming." but she and her mother moved to Oakland, California, when her father enlisted for military service in World War II.

Swimming When she was 9 years old, Olsen-Jensen won first place in girls' and women's diving in open swimming and diving competition in Neenah, Wisconsin. Olsen-Jensen won over 16 women divers and was the youngest of more than 100 participants in the Fox River Valley meet.

At age 11, Olsen-Jensen was the only two-event winner in Iowa's state Amateur Athletic Union swimming meet, finishing first in diving and the 40-yard freestyle junior race. When she was 12, she finished third in the national junior AAU championship competition.

In 1948, Olsen-Jensen won her first Olympic medal in springboard diving in London. They had a daughter and two sons. On September 18, 1972, she married Don Bramham.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Oakland High School
Awards
Iowa Sports Hall of Fame; International Swimming Hall of Fame

People in Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen?

diver (1931-2017)

When was Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen born?

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen was born on 11 February 1931 in Council Bluffs.

When did Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen die?

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen died on 23 September 2017 in Stuart.

What was Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen's occupation?

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen was a competitive diver.

What nationality was Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen?

Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen

· Wikidata: Q3434000

· DBpedia: Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen. https://biography.guide/zoe-ann-olsen-jensen/

MLA: "Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/zoe-ann-olsen-jensen/.

Chicago: "Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/zoe-ann-olsen-jensen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:09 UTC