The first Asian American athlete to become a gold medalist at the Olympics was Victoria Manalo Draves. She won gold medals in both the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform diving events at the 1948 London Olympic Games, making her the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal overall

. Shortly after, Sammy Lee became the first Asian American man to win an Olympic gold medal, also at the 1948 London Olympics. He won gold in the 10-meter platform diving event and went on to defend his title successfully at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, becoming the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in platform diving

. In summary:

• First Asian American gold medalist: Victoria Manalo Draves (1948, diving)

• First Asian American male gold medalist: Sammy Lee (1948, diving)