The Worldwide Swimming Corridor of Fame (ISHOF) hosted the Class of 2024 Honorees and award winners, in addition to the MISHOF (Masters) Class of 2023, this previous weekend, Oct. 4-6, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the 59th annual Induction Weekend.
The Honorees weekend kicked off Friday night, Oct. 4, with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards sponsored by AquaCal. The ISHOF Aquatic Awards are offered yearly to people or organizations for excellent contributions to aquatics in six classes.
The 2024 ISHOF Aquatic Awards, sponsored by AquaCal, included Jay Thomas (USA), Aggressive Swimming, Sheliagh Boudia (USA), Diving, Beth Root (USA), Leisure Swimming (USA), Chris and Jenny McCuiston (USA), Aquatic Security, Cris and Pedro Pinciroli (BRA), Water Polo and Sandra Roberts (CAN) for Synchronized Swimming.
Different award winners for the night included, Rodna Metz Bordner who obtained the John Okay. Williams Jr. Worldwide Tailored Aquatics Award; Dominic Calabro was awarded the Each Little one A Swimmer Award, and Sandra Rossi Madormo, of Brazil, was offered the Virginia Hunt Newman Award.
Ian Hugh McAllister, who wrote the story of his grandmother, “Misplaced Olympics: The Hilda James Story,” obtained the Buck Dawson Writer’s Award. McAllister wrote his “Gran’s” fascinating true story. What’s the final worth of success? In 1924, swimming famous person Hilda James was a useless cert for the British Crew on the Paris Olympics. Her household had different concepts. That is the account of a world champion who immediately discovered that her final problem was to tug her life again collectively after her dream was cruelly shattered eternally. Hilda wasn’t about to bow all the way down to anyone and broke away, lastly reaching full emancipation. A social historical past of life in South Liverpool plus the story of Parkgate Baths on The Wirral present the early background for this extraordinary e book. The ultimate chapters are set towards the backdrop of life as a celeb crew member aboard Cunard’s first goal constructed cruise liner, Carinthia.
The 59th Annual Honoree Induction started Saturday night on the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Seaside Resort and Spa with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres. Many aged mates obtained re-acquainted, swimmers and coaches reminisced, folks met their idols, whether or not they have been Olympians from yesterday or 50 years in the past. One factor was for positive, everybody had fun. And though, we missed ISHOF Board Member, and Olympic famous person, Dara Torres, as she is busy up in New England teaching her new staff, Boston Faculty, we have been fortunate sufficient to welcome a spectacular new emcee of the ceremonies. She involves us only recently returned from Paris, the place she was masking the swimming for NBC on the Olympic Video games and much more not too long ago, final month, she was married, 2012 Olympic medalist, Elizabeth Beisel. Beisel set the tone for a enjoyable, upbeat night, which was broadcast dwell on ESPN+.. Watch it right here.
This yr’s Induction Class of 2024 included three swimmers, Lars Frölander (SWE), Daniel Gyurta (HUN) and Dana Vollmer (USA); and for the primary time ever, a relay staff, the USA Girls’s 1976 Gold Medal 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay, consisting of Wendy Boglioli, Shirley Babashoff, Jill Sterkel and Kim Peyton. The Class of 2024 noticed three divers inducted, Alexandre Despatie (CAN), Yulia Pakhalina (RUS) and from the Class of 2023, Wu Minxia (CHN), who was unable to attend final yr; one synchronized swimmer, Virginie Dedieu (FRA); two water polo gamers, Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA) and Vladimir Akimov; Coach Dennis “Denny” Pursley (USA); Contributor, Dale Neuburger (USA) and the 2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion recipient was Mr. Alex Blavatnik.
The category of 2024 started with the one diver who has ever gained a World Championship title in all three particular person occasions, the 1- and 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform. Alexandre Despatie competed for Canada in 4 Olympic Video games, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012, profitable two silver medals and making the finals in every of his Olympic performances.
Dana Vollmer, of the USA, is a seven-time Olympic medalist, 10-time medalist on the World Championships and with 35 medals earned in worldwide competitors. But with all these accolades, the one title she’s most pleased with is she is the one “Mom” within the sport of swimming to win an Olympic gold medal.
Honor Water Polo Participant Vladimir Akimov was represented by his son, Roman Akimov, who flew from Moscow and mentioned he needed to be current for this “very particular honor for his father, who was inducted on the identical day he died beneath tragic circumstances, October 5.” Vladimir Akimov was a member of the Soviet water polo staff that gained the gold medal on the 1980 Olympic Video games in Moscow. Akimov was a driving pressure on the staff and one the best defenders of his period.
Dennis Pursley (USA) most likely had the biggest cheering part of the night. Inducted as this yr’s Honor Coach, Pursley started his profession at Lakeside Aquatics, teaching none aside from presumably the best feminine butterflier of all time, Mary T. Meagher, and a number of different gifted swimmers, with six of them, together with Mary T. making the 1980 Olympic Crew. Pursley held a number of prestigious jobs together with Head Coach for the Australia Institute of Sport, went on to be named the primary ever, Nationwide Crew Director for USA Swimming, he guided the British Nationwide Crew within the teenagers, and ended his profession at his Alma Mater, the College of Alabama, the place he led the lads’s squad to 6 prime 15 finishes on the NCAA Championships.
Italian Water Polo Participant, Carmela “Lilli” Allucci was unable to be with us, however she was a part of the category of 2024, as captain of the 2004 Girls’s Italian Olympic Water Polo Crew, the place she and her staff gained gold in Athens on the Video games. As well as, she is a two-time FINA World Champion: 2001 and 1998, and four-time European Champion: 2003, 1999, 1997 and 1995. Lilli was additionally chosen to hold the flag within the closing ceremony of the Olympic Video games in 2004 by all her Italian teammates, in all sports activities.
Throughout the center of the ceremonies, ISHOF offered Peter Diamond with the Al Schoenfield Media Award. Diamond’s profession spanned 17 Olympic Video games, each Summer time and Winter. His profession started at ABC in 1974, because the Olympic Researcher for the 1974 (Innsbruck) and 1976 (Montreal) Video games. In 1977, he moved to NBC as Govt Producer of Olympic Analysis. He returned to ABC, later in 1980 as Director of Olympic Planning, the place he labored till the Olympic rights went again to NBC in 1988. Then so did Diamond, the place he was an integral a part of scheduling and programming via all of the Olympic Video games from then via the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games. Diamond was all the time a champion of aquatic sports activities and was keen on their placement within the Olympic Video games. He turned mates with most of the governing our bodies of the sports activities he broadcast, occasion ISHOF within the early days.
Russian Diver Yulia Pakhalina turned the sixth Russian Diver to be inducted into ISHOF. She is a three-time Olympian, 2000-2004-2008, specializing within the 3-meter springboard. She gained the gold medal within the synchronized diving occasion, on the 3-meter along with her companion, Vera Ilyina, in Sydney, 2000. Within the subsequent two Olympic appearances, the duo gained silver in 2004 and bronze in 2008, whereas individually on the 3-meter, Yulia gained bronze in 2004 and silver in 2008. Yulia is a three-time World Champion, and an eight-time European Champion, 5 occasions as a soloist.
Lars Frölander (SWE) is a butterfly and freestyle standout whose profession was notable for each its elite performances on the worldwide stage and its longevity. Lars is a six-time Olympian, spanning each Video games from 1992 via 2012, etching his title as a headliner within the 100-meter butterfly. Whereas his prowess in that occasion accounted for his most noteworthy achievements, Frölander additionally excelled within the 50 butterfly, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, and as a outstanding determine on Swedish relays. Along with his three Olympic medals, (one gold, two silver), Lars was a 21-time medalist between the long-course and short-course variations of the World Championships. Add in 33 medals from the European Championships (lengthy course/brief course) and Frölander’s profession tally of main worldwide {hardware} sits at a powerful 57 medals.
So far, all Synchronized Swimmers which were profitable, have had whole groups behind them, normally profitable the staff medal. However not France’s Virginie Dedieu. Virginie is a three-time Olympian, and her mixture of gorgeous artistry and technical excellence earned her three consecutive FINA World Championship solo titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2000, on the Sydney Olympic Video games, Dedieu, and companion, gained the bronze medal within the duet. On the 2004 Video games in Athens, she positioned fifth within the duet. Virginie is a three-time European solo champion and a 40-time French Nationwide Champion. Along with her success in synchronized swimming, Virginie obtained her diploma in structure and inside design, she coaches, not solely different college students, however for different nations, is a “grasp” choreographer, has completed tv for a number of Olympic Video games, and most not too long ago was on the Paris Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Video games.
Honor Contributor: Dale Neuburger (USA)
Dale Neuburger is the longest serving American consultant within the historical past of FINA/World Aquatics. He served because the Liaison to the FINA/World Aquatics Technical Swimming Committee for 19 years and was the Technical Delegate for swimming at 5 Olympic Video games – together with Paris, 2024. He’s additionally the founding Chairman of the World Aquatics Growth Program overseeing the biggest grant program within the Olympic household with greater than $10 million distributed yearly to athletes and growing nations. Neuburger served two phrases as President of USA Swimming and later two phrases because the President of United States Aquatic Sports activities, the Nationwide Federation member of FINA/World Aquatics. On the 2000 Sydney Olympic Video games he was elected Vice President of FINA, the worldwide federation governing aquatic sports activities; he was reelected 4 extra occasions earlier than being elected Treasurer and member of the Govt Committee of World Aquatics, the brand new title of FINA, in 2021 – and was re-elected in 2023.
Honor Diver Wu Minxia (CHN) is taken into account one of many best divers on this planet. She is four-time Olympian, competing in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, profitable 5 Olympic gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal. In FINA World Championship competitors, Wu is an eight-time gold medalist, and he or she was the one diver within the historical past of the FINA World Championships to win seven gold medals within the synchronized 3-meter springboard. Throughout her profession Wu earned seven particular person medals on the World Championships as properly.
In Diving World Collection Competitors, Wu has gained 31 gold medals, and in Diving Grand Prix competitors, 23 gold. She was additionally a expertise on the 1-meter springboard, profitable a flurry of medals on the decrease board as properly. Wu was named the FINA Athlete of the 12 months within the feminine diving class in 2011 and 2012. She retired from aggressive diving in late 2016.
Like a lot of his fellow countryman, Hungarian Honor Swimmer, Daniel Gyurta was a breaststroke specialist, profitable gold on the 2012 Olympic Video games within the 200-meter breast, and silver within the 2004 Olympic Video games in the identical occasion. He’s a four-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), and three-time World Report holder within the 200-meter breast. Gyurta was topped the 200-meter champion on the FINA World Championships, lengthy course version, starting in 2009 for 3 consecutive meets, 2011, 2013. Gyurta additionally flourished within the short-course pool, the place he was the world-record holder within the 200 breaststroke from 2009 to 2016, and the world champion in 2012 and 2014.
On the eve of his induction, October 4, Gyurta was elected President of the Hungarian Olympic Academy (MOA), as introduced by the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB). Daniel and his spouse, Ezster Iszak, additionally turned the proud dad and mom of a child lady, Mirabella, in mid July.
Few relays in historical past have been and stilll are as thrilling to observe because the USA Girls’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay on the 1976 Olympic Video games, swam by Babashoff, Boglioli, Sterkel and Peyton. It was the final occasion of the Video games and the US ladies had not gained one gold medal but, however these 4 ladies have been decided to alter that truth. Everybody suspected the East German ladies of doping however it will not be confirmed for one more 40+ years. The evening earlier than the race, these 4 US ladies visualized themselves profitable the gold from begin to end. Now it was time to really do it.
East Germany led off with its star, Kornelia Ender, who raced reverse Kim Peyton. Peyton led off in 56.95, a powerful efficiency, and whereas Crew USA discovered itself a physique size behind after Ender touched in 55.79, the People have been inside hanging distance. On the second leg, Wendy Boglioli produced the quickest break up of her profession by two seconds, going 55.81 to Petra Priemer’s 56.16 break up. For Boglioli, it was the best effort of her profession. 15-year-old Jill Sterkel was given the chore of chopping into the East German lead additional. {The teenager} completed her aim, and extra, as she posted a break up of 55.78, with Andrea Pollack going 56.99. By 300 meters, america was within the lead by .40, with Shirley Babashoff going through off with Claudia Hempel on the anchor leg. Initially a dream, the potential of an American victory was actual.
Coping with per week of frustration and unfairness, Babashoff – with 4 silver medals behind East Germany – was not going to yield the lead. Producing a break up of 56.28, towards the 56.56 of Hempel, america beat East Germany by .68 and established a world document of three:44.82, breaking the previous mark by 4 seconds. One of many greatest upsets in Olympic historical past had been registered, and 4 ladies demonstrated what perception and teamwork can do.
ISHOF’s Gold Medallion Award is offered annually to a former aggressive swimmer for his or her nationwide or worldwide important achievements within the area of science, leisure, artwork, enterprise, training, or authorities. The 2024 Gold Medallion was offered this yr to Alex Blavatnik (URS/USA). Alex calls our lovely metropolis, house, a part of the yr and swims on the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Middle for the Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters; He’s a former member of the ISHOF Board and a member of the USA Swimming Basis’s Board of Administrators. He’s the present Vice Chairman of Entry Industries, Senior Advisor to the Blavatnik Household Basis, Director of the Blavatnik Archive, and sits on the boards of a number of instructional and charitable establishments.
