Salute to National Women’s Month: Honoree Ethelda Bliebtrey
There are so many strong women in sports, particularly aquatic sports, but in the month of March, we specifically try to really pay tribute to them. So for our first woman, we’ve decided to tell the story of one of the greatest women swimmers in the sport with a life as fun and exciting as her name: Ms. Ethelda Bliebtrey.
Ethelda Bleibtrey was the USA’s first female Olympic swimming champion and the only person ever to win all the women’s swimming events at any Olympic Games. She took up competitive swimming for the first time in 1918, won the nationals within a year, and was the best in the world by the end of the second year (1920 Olympics).
Miss Bleibtrey won three gold medals in the Games at Antwerp and says only fate kept her from being swimming’s first four gold medal winner in one Olympic Game, an honor Hall of Famer Don Schollander accomplished 44 years later in Tokyo. “At that time,” she says, “I was the world record holder in backstroke but they didn’t have women’s backstroke, only freestyle in those Olympics.”
U.S. Girls 400 Freestyle Relay: Frances Schroth, Margaret Woodbridge, Ethelda Bliebtrey, Irene Guest
For her world and Olympic records in the 100 and 300 meter freestyle and anchor leg of the winning U.S. 400 freestyle relay, Ethelda was congratulated by King Albert of Belgium. She later surfed with the Prince of Wales in Hawaii, dated oarsman Jack Kelly in Atlantic City, and triumphantly toured the Panama Canal, Australia and New Zealand. The invitation down under came when she was the first girl ever to beat Hall of Famer Fanny Durack, the long-time Australian multi-world record holder on Fanny’s U.S. tour in 1919.
Miss Bleibtrey had several other firsts for which she got citations but no medals. Her first citation was for “nude swimming” at Manhattan Beach. She removed her stockings before going in to swim. This was considered nudity in 1919. Resulting publicity and public opinion swinging in her favor not only emancipated Ethelda from jail, but women’s swimming from stockings. On her trip to Australia with Charlotte Boyle the misses Bleibtrey and Boyle were the second and third famous women to bob their hair — something Irene Castle had just introduced. Charlotte’s parents told them not to come home until it grew out (citation #2), for which they were reprieved when the ship landed and the Boyle’s decided it didn’t look as bad as they had feared. Citation #3 got Ethelda arrested in Central Park and paddy-wagonned down to the New York police station for a night in jail but it also got New York its first big swimming pool in Central Park after Mayor Jimmy Walker intervened.
It happened like this: “The New York Daily News” wanted the City to open up its Central Park reservoir for swimming and arranged to have Ethelda arrested while diving in. For this they paid her $1,000.00, money she sorely needed after an abortive attempt to turn pro with a tank tour of the Keith Circuit. Her tank leaked — all over the theater — and Keith’s sued her instead of continuing her promised 14 week tour.
Ethelda and Charlotte Boyle with their Famed “bobbed” haircuts
Ethelda Bleibtrey, who started swimming because of polio, and took it up seriously to keep her friend Charlotte Boyle company, turned pro in 1922 after winning every national AAU championship from 50 yards to long distance (1920-1922) in an undefeated amateur career. She also started the U.S. Olympians Association with Jack Kelly, Sr., and later became a successful coach and swimming teacher in New York and Atlantic City. She is currently a practicing nurse in North Palm Beach, Florida — not as young but just as interesting. The sparkle remains in her eyes as she tells how they swam their 1920 Olympic races “in mud and not water,” in a tidal estuary; and how she participated in the first athletic sit-in when Hall of Famer Norman Ross organized the Olympic team to sit it out on the beach in Europe until the U.S. Olympic Committee sent better accommodations for the voyage home. “I have my memories,” says Ethelda, “and I guess some of those other people remember too. I owe a great deal to swimming and to Charlotte Boyle, who got me in swimming and L. deB. Handley, who coached me to the top.”
ISHOF Announces it’s (MISHOF) Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Class for 2023….
MISHOF 2019 Induction Ceremony, St. Louis, MO, USAS convention (photo above)
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) is proud to announce its prestigious Masters Class of 2023. This year ISHOF will be inducting the class of seven (7) honorees from five countries that were selected last year: three swimmers, one diver, one water polo player, one synchronized/artistic swimmer, and one contributor. The Masters (MISHOF) induction event will be held in conjunction with the ISHOF Honoree weekend, Saturday, October 4-5, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This year’s Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) honorees include:
HONOR SWIMMERS: Clary Munns (AUS), Glen Christiansen (SWE), and Tom Wolf (USA); HONOR DIVER: Tarja Liljestrom (FIN); HONOR SYNCHRONIZED (ARTISTIC) SWIMMER: Lizzi Jakobsen* (USA); HONOR WATER POLO: Jose Luis Martin Gomez (ESP); and HONOR CONTRIBUTOR: Nadine Day (USA)
*deceased
SWIMMERS:
CLARY MUNNS (AUS)
78-year-old grandmother Clary Munns swims for the Blacktown City Masters Swimming Club.
As of her selection in early 2023, she had set eight long course and 25 short course FINA Masters world records in the backstroke, butterfly and I.M events, since 1988 with 13 world records in 2019 alone. Munns has not competed in any FINA Masters World Championships, accumulating all her 1297 world points by breaking world records, and setting world rankings. Since 1986, Clary has been in the Top Ten, 25 times.
Clary is a great ambassador for Blacktown City at the state, national and world levels, and is proof that age is no barrier to sporting success. In 2016 she was New South Wales Masters Athlete of the Year.
TOM WOLF (USA)
Tom Wolf began swimming Masters in the 25-29 age group. He is currently swimming in the 65-69, meaning he has competed in eight different age groups. He has set 28 FINA Masters World Records competing in the backstroke and the I.M. events and has been in the world rankings since 1983.
Wolf has been in the Top Ten 16 times in his career. He previously swam for North Texas Masters and is currently swimming for Lone Star Masters in the USA.
Like Clary Munns, Wolf has not competed in any FINA Masters World Championships, accumulating all his 949 world points by breaking world records and setting world rankings.
GLEN CHRISTIANSEN (SWE)
Glen Christiansen is a former Swedish Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, where he finished 11th in the 200-meter breaststroke.
Since then, he has had continued success as a Masters swimmer and has pursued an international career as a swimming coach. He broke 24 world records between 1986 and 2009 and has competed in eight Masters World Championships (1986, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010 and 2014), winning a total of 26 medals. He has been in the Top Ten a total of 32 times and has acquired a total of 908 world points.
He has been in the World Rankings in both the long and short course, with a total of 33, almost exclusively in the breaststroke events.
DIVER:
TARJA LILJESTROM (FIN)
Prior to her Masters career, Tarja Liljestrom was a competitor in the 1968 Olympic Games for Finland on both the 3M Springboard and 10M Platform.
Tarja has competed in nine FINA World Championships, and has won 24 medals: 10 Gold, 13 Silver, 1 Bronze. In addition, she has set three World Records, has competed in numerous European Masters competitions, and serves as a judge in the same competitions. She is currently competing in the 65-69 age group.
Tarja is a researcher for the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland.
WATER POLO PLAYER:
JOSE LUIS MARTIN GOMEZ (ESP)
In 1998 Jose started playing for Real Canoe Masters of Madrid; a few years prior to that, he was playing in the regional league, as there was no Masters league. Jose imported the traveling spirit of his former club that he played in as a child, to Real Canoe and now the club makes two to three trips a year to any part of the world to play in Masters tournaments. He also organizes the Spanish Cup of Masters water polo every two years.
Jose has competed in eight FINA Masters World Championships between 2004 and 2017, earning one silver and two bronze in tournament play. In 2017 he won gold at the World Master Games; He has competed in six European Masters Championships, coming away with one gold, one silver and two bronze.
He has also competed in numerous international tournaments throughout Europe and Spain, as a member of the Real Canoe Team, between 2002-2017, earning ten gold medals, five silver medals and four bronze medals.
ARTISTIC SWIMMER:
LIZZI JAKOBSEN (USA)*
*deceased
Lizzi Jakobsen was one of the five original members of the team that became the Southern California Unsyncables. Inspired by the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, they decided to enter the Masters National Championships that year. Lizzie and her team competed in nationals again in 1986, ‘88, ‘90, and ‘91. With the FINA World Masters being held in Indianapolis in 1992, they planned to enter their first ever FINA World Masters Championships. With the help of Dawn Bean as coach, they were elated to come home with medals in four events including gold medals in the 50-59 age group team.
After their success in Indianapolis, the Unsyncables began competing in the FINA Masters World Championships. Lizzi attended a total of seven FINA Masters Championships winning a total of 15 medals: 12 gold, two silver and one bronze. Indianapolis (1992), Montreal (1994), Sheffield, England (1996), Munich (2000), Christchurch, New Zealand (2002), Riccione, Italy (2004), Stanford, California (2006), and Goteborg, Sweden (2010).
Unfortunately, Lizzi passed away last year before she learned of her induction.
CONTRIBUTOR:
NADINE DAY (USA) – Masters Swimming Contributor
Nadine Day has devoted the last 25 years of her life to Masters swimming. Her volunteer work began in 2001 when she became the Illinois Local Masters Swimming Committee (LMSC) Sanctions Chair. Attending her first USMS convention a year later, she soon joined several USMS committees, all the while continuing to take on more responsibility within her local MSC. Nadine served as her LMSC’s Vice Chair and subsequently its Chair in addition to balancing the demands of multiple USMS Committee assignments.
In 2005, Nadine was elected to the USMS Board of Directors for the first time. After serving two terms as the Great Lakes Director, she was elected Vice President of Community Services, and served another four years on the board. During her 16 years as a leader on the USMS Board, Nadine was involved in numerous task forces and committees. In the late twenty-teens, Nadine was named the United States Aquatic Sports Convention Chairperson, which is no small undertaking. Day and her committee took it over flawlessly from a crew that had been running it for years and years.
Nadine continued serving in leadership positions on committees and international organizations, once off the USMS board. In Nadine’s own words: “To me it’s about giving back to a sport I love and encouraging other adults to love swimming—it’s about providing opportunities for others. Making sacrifices for others is easy when you want our sport to be successful”. Nadine’s contributions to USMS have touched countless lives and helped USMS to grow and evolve.
Nadine has received numerous awards through the years, showing her continued dedication to Masters swimming. She won the USMS Dorothy Donnelly Service Award; in 2015, USMS, gave her the Ted Haartz Staff Appreciation Award and in 2016, she received USMS’s highest honor, the Capt. Ransom J. Arthur M.D. Award. In 2018 Swimming World Magazine named her “One of the 10 Most Impactful People” in Swimming. And lastly, in 2020 United States Aquatic Sports presented Nadine with the Women in Swimming Award.
About MISHOF
The purpose of the MISHOF is to promote a healthy lifestyle, lifelong fitness, and participation in adult aquatic programs. MISHOF recognizes the achievements of individuals who have participated in Masters programs through at least four different Masters age groups. Most must pre-qualify by an objective point system based on world records performances, world Top Ten rankings and World Championship performances. The MISHOF is a division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, please visit: www.ishof.org
About ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. (ISHOF), established in 1965, is a not-for-profit educational organization located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. It was first recognized by FINA, the International Olympic Committee’s recognized governing body for the aquatic sports, in 1968. ISHOF’s mission is to collaborate with aquatic organizations worldwide to preserve, educate and celebrate history, showcase events, share cultures, increase participation in aquatic sports, while working toward making “Every child A Swimmer”.
For more information, call Meg-Keller-Marvin at 570 594-4367 or e-mail: meg@ishof.org or visit www.ishof.org
JULIUS CEASAR AND THE IDES OF MARCH
“Beware The Ides of March!” Had Julius Caesar not been a strong swimmer, we would never know the term – he would have died in 48 BCE and never lived to die on the Ides of March in 45 BCE.
by: Bruce Wigo
It is from the historian and biographer Plutarch, that we know of a famous swimming feat from ancient Rome. The year was 48 B.C.E., during the great Roman Civil War. Julius Caesar had just defeated his rival, Pompey, in Greece, and Pompey had escaped to Alexandria with his family and entourage to seek asylum. But Caesar followed and landed in Egypt a few days later. When he arrived, Caesar was greeted by the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII, who presented him with Pompey’s head. Ptolemy had expected Caesar to be pleased and hoped to win the Caesar’s support in his own dispute with his sister, Cleopatra, whom he had driven into exile. But according to Plutarch, it had the opposite effect. When shown Pompey’s head, Caesar turned away and wept, for Caesar and Pompey had been closer than most friends. As consuls, they had ruled Rome together and in 59 B.C.E. Pompey had married Caesar’s only legitimate daughter, Julia. When she died during childbirth four years later, Caesar and Pompey had grieved together. Caesar never wished Pompey dead, but had hoped to rehabilitate their friendship and it was a distraught Caesar who consoled Pompey’s wife and children and won over the favor of his army by granting them all clemency.
When Caesar first met Cleopatra he was captivated by her beauty and intelligence. Although he was 52 years old and she only 21, they became lovers. Ptolemy was imprisoned and Cleopatra, backed by Caesar’s small army, was declared sole ruler of Egypt. This upset Ptolemy’s generals and they marched on Alexandria. With Egyptian ships blocking the harbor, and greatly outnumbered, Caesar had little choice but to prepare for a siege until Roman legions from nearby Syria and Greece could come to his aide.
In an effort to break the siege, Caesar prepared thirty of his ships for an attack on Pharos, the island fortress that controlled ingress and egress to the port and contained the great Alexandria lighthouse. Control of the island was essential if Caesar was to get reinforcements and supplies by sea. According to Plutarch, Caesar was watching from land as the ships clashed and then, he tried to go to the aide of his men in their struggle in a small boat. “But the Egyptians sailed up against him from every side, so that he threw himself into the sea and with great difficulty escaped by swimming. At this time, too, it is said that he was holding many papers in his hand and would not let them go, though missiles were flying at him and he was immersed in the sea, but held them above water with one hand and swam with the other; his little boat had been sunk at the outset.”Some months later, reinforcements arrived, Caesar defeated Ptolemy’s army and subjugated Egypt under Roman rule. Cleopatra became his mistress and gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar, and she returned to Rome with him, which caused quite a scandal, as he was married to someone else. So it was that because of swimming, Caesar survived to meet his fate on the Ides of March in 45 B.C.E. Had he not known how to swim, the history of the world might be quite different today.
ISHOF and Synchronized swimming loses a true Legend of the sport: Judith McGowan dies suddenly on Sunday, March 10, 2024 ~
~My personal memories of a great woman and friend~
My birth certificate says that I hit the big 6-0 last November, but like a lot of us, in my heart, I am still running down the halls of my high school trying to find out what’s going on for the weekend. So, when I got the news today, that my dear friend, ISHOF Honoree, Judy McGowan had died suddenly, my first thought was that it was a mistake. Now, I know Judy is older than me by 20+ years but it still was just not possible.
I first met Judy at one of the first United States Aquatic Sports conventions that we (ISHOF) attended back in the early 1990’s. I cannot tell you when or how exactly I met her, but she was always so nice and welcoming to me and the other ISHOF staffers. You would have never known what a big shot she really was in the world of aquatic sports…… The truth is, the synchro “girls”, as they were called at convention, always had a reputation of being the most fun out of all the sports at convention. Now, I cannot absolutely lump Judy into that category because I don’t remember specifically that far back, but something tells me she was right in there having fun with the rest of them. Even if she was probably in charge of them.
Judy was inducted in ISHOF in 2009 as an Honor Contributor. More than well deserved. She did more for the sport of synchronized swimming than anyone would believe. It was from that time, that I really got to know Judy. I worked with her on her induction and from then on we just kind of kept in touch. Not every week, or even every month, mind you, but when we would chat, it would be long calls, and we’d talk about everything.
Judy and I worked together on the synchronized swimming Honorees and once I took over the Selection Committee and balloting duties, we would talk almost everyday during the selection process period. And she was always one step ahead of me, with nominations, ballot entries, awards, you name it, if I needed it, Judy already had it. Judy had the most amazing stories. She knew everyone, met everyone, and was witness to so many major events……I would tell her she needed to write a book. Her life in synchronized swimming alone was enough for a book, but she had stories that led into so many other stories! Olympics, Presidents, travels, trips, athletes; she lived a rock stars life! (Maybe I’m exaggerating a little). Judy being Judy she repeatedly told me that she was most worried about getting the part of her house with the 60 years of synchro history organized, so when she finally did pass, no one would have to worry about it, it could all just be sent down to us (ISHOF). She wanted to make it easy on her kids and then us when we got it. :}
The last couple of years Judy and I have spoken regularly every other week or so, and since January of this year, we have basically talked every other day or so; it was selection committee/ballot season. I am going to miss her stories, how wise she was, her guidance and advice, her opinions, and her love. The sport of synchronized swimming will have a giant hole to fill with the loss of Mrs. Judith McGowan. We’ll never be able to replace her. I know I won’t……
Please take a moment to read her biography from her induction. She had many firsts, especially as a woman in leadership in the sports arena.
Judy McGowan (USA)
Honor Synchronized / Artistic Swimmer /Contributor (2009)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 55 YEARS A COMPETITOR, COACH ,JUDGE, ADMINISTRATOR IN SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING; MEMBER FINA TECHNICAL SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING COMMITTEE: 1984-1996 (Chairman 1984-1992); MEMBER ASUA TECHNICAL SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING COMMITTEE: 1979 – 1984; EDITOR AND PRIMARY AUTHOR OF FIRST INTERNATIONAL TRAINING MANUEL FOR SYNCHRO JUDGES: 1979; EDITED FIRST FINA JUDGING MANUEL (1988); CHAIRED FINA – TSSC AD HOC COMMITTEE ON DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY; DEVELOPED FIRST VIDEO TAPE SERIES FOR TRAINING INTERNATIONAL ROUTINE JUDGES; DRAFTED FIRST RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR TECHNICAL ROUTINES; INTERNATIONAL CLINICIAN CONDUCTING 37 INTERNATIONAL CLINICS; SYNCHRO COMPETITION MANAGER FOR 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES; U.S. CHEF DEMISSION FOR 1982 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; SYNCHRO JUDGE/OFFICIAL AT FIVE OLYMPIC GAMES, FIVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, FIVE PAN AMERICAN GAMES AND SEVEN WORLD CUPS.
Since 1953, Judith McGowan has been active as a synchronized swimming competitor, coach, judge and most importantly, administrator nationally and internationally.
In her younger days of competition in the city of Baltimore, she was coached by 1912 British Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer, Belle Moore Cameron and then Dot Muhly. It helped to prepare her for the many years of commitment and service she gave to the sport.
In 1974, she was the U.S. delegate to the First International Conference on Synchronized Swimming in Ottawa and then elected to chair the International Judges Study Group from 1974 to 1984. In 1979, she was editor and primary author of the First International Training Manual for Synchronized Swimming Judges. She organized the Second International Conference on Synchronized Swimming in 1979 in Washington, DC. Six years later in 1984, she became the first woman ever appointed to chair a FINA committee, the Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee (TSSC) on which she served for twelve years, eight as chairman. During her tenure, she innovated and improved judging and scoring procedures, initiated development clinics around the world and developed training materials. In 1988, she edited the first FINA Judging Manual, revising it in 1992. She chaired the FINA – TSSC Ad Hoc Committee on degrees of difficulty and authored its report, which established a systematic approach to assigning degrees of difficulty to FINA figures.
She developed the first video tape series for training international routine judges by writing the script, selecting video clips, designing the format, and doing the video voiceover. She also wrote a teaching manual to accompany the tapes. She drafted the first rules and guidelines for technical routines and organized the first FINA Coaching Symposium for elite synchro coaches in 1992 at Olympia,Greece. As an international clinician, she conducted or served 37 international clinics around the world including Argentina, Australia (3), Brazil, Canada (2), China, Columbia (3), Cuba, Dominican Republic (2), Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea (2) Mexico (2), Puerto Rico (2), Russia, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA (7), and Venezuela.
On the home front, she was the Founding President of U.S. A. Synchronized Swimming where she incorporated the organization, hired the first executive director and established the national office (1977 – 1984). During this time, the USSS National Team Program, National Age Group Championships and Masters programs began, and the concept for the first USSS Coaches Certification Program was developed.
She became the Chairman of the U.S.Olympic Committee Task Force to investigate the status of Coaches Education in the United States for Pan American and Olympic Sports. All recommendations were subsequently adopted including the establishment of a USOC Coaching Education Program. From 1984 to 1988, she chaired the Coaches Education Committee, organizing the first coaching education seminars for the USOC. She became a member of the USOC Executive Board from 1980-1984 and was appointed by USOC president, Bill Simon as the liaison for the Athletes Advisory Council.
She served as an international judge at the 1984 and 2000 Olympic Games, serving as Chief Olympic Referee in 1988 and 1992 and as Competition Manager in 1996. She was a judge at the 1978, 1998, 2005 World Championships; 1979, 1997, 1999 World Cups; 1993, 1997, 2002, and 2004 Junior World Championships and the 1979, 1983, 1987, 1999 and 2003 Pan American Games. She served as Chief Referee at the 1986, 1991 World Championships; 1985, 1987, 1989,1991 World Cups and 1989, 1991 Jr Worlds. She was the competition manager at the 1995 World Cup and she served as the U.S. Chef de Mission at the 1982 World Championships.
Women’s History Month: Aussie Fanny Durack a Pioneer in Olympic Women’s Swimming As The First Champion
by JOHN LOHN – ASSOCIATE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
01 March 2021
Women’s History Month: Aussie Fanny Durack a Pioneer in Olympic Women’s Swimming As The First Champion
Today, March 1, marks the beginning of Women’s History Month. To mark the beginning of the month, we look at the arrival of women in the Olympic pool, where Australian Fanny Durack became the first Olympic swimming champion among women, over 100m freestyle, on July 12, 1912.
Takeoff to Tokyo (Fanny Durack) – From the April Issue of Swimming World Magazine
When the Olympic Games return to Tokyo this summer, one of the highlights will be a swimming schedule that is identical for men and women, the 1500 freestyle added for the ladies and the 800 freestyle added to the program for the gentlemen. But the first four editions of swimming at the Modern Olympics did not feature equality, women not involved until 1912, at which point Fanny Durack made a major splash.
Not long after Hungarian Alfred Hajos became the first Olympic swimming champion, winning the gold medal in the 100 freestyle at the 1896 Games in Athens, Australia’s Sarah “Fanny” Durack developed the urge to learn to swim. It wasn’t that Durack, a youngster at the time, was inspired by Hajos’ efforts, or the performances by any other male swimmer.
Rather, Durack’s desire to swim was triggered out of necessity and in the pursuit of peace of mind. While on vacation as a 9-year-old, Durack struggled with the surf in her native land, and it was that experience which convinced her to become water safe. It was a decision which made Durack swimming’s first female superstar.
From 1896, when the first Modern Games were held in the birthplace of the Ancient Olympics, through 1908, only men were allowed to compete in swimming at the Olympics. During that time, the likes of Hajos, American Charles Daniels, Great Britain’s Henry Taylor and Hungary’s Zoltan Halmay emerged as the sport’s standouts.
It wasn’t like women were banned from the Olympics altogether during that stretch of time, as female athletes competed in events such as sailing, tennis and equestrian as early as the 1900 Games in Paris. Swimming, though, didn’t create a coed program until the 1912 Games, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden.
When it was announced women would be invited to compete in Stockholm, some countries jumped at the opportunity while others were disinterested. Only 27 women took part in the two swimming events, the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay, with host Sweden and Great Britain sending six athletes each. Australia sent two swimmers, Durack and Mina Wylie, while the United States opted to send no women, despite fielding a team of seven men.
BelleMoore, Jennie Fletcher, a team chaperone, Annie Speirs and Irene Steer at Stockholm 1912 – Photo Courtesy: ISHOF
While Durack had put together an impressive career, Wylie actually held the upper hand over her countrywoman in the leadup to the 1912 Games. Wylie beat Durack on several occasions at the Australian Championships and was considered a gold-medal favorite as much as Durack, who had the higher profile.
Getting to the Olympics, however, proved to be an issue for Durack and Wylie, with politics playing a role. Considering the role politics have played throughout the history of the Olympic Games, maybe it was fitting Durack and Wylie had to play a waiting game.
“The Aussie men in charge of selecting the team for the 1912 Games declared that it was a waste of time and money to send women to Sweden,” wrote Craig Lord in an article for the former SwimVortex website.
“The rule book didn’t help, either. The New South Wales Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association regulations held that no women could compete at events where men were present. A public outcry resulted in a vote and rule change at the association and Durack and Wylie were allowed to make the journey to Europe – provided they paid for themselves. The wife of Hugh McIntosh, a sporting and theatrical entrepreneur and newspaper proprietor, launched a successful appeal for funds and with money donated by the public, family and friends, Durack sailed for Sweden via London, where she was reported to have trained half a mile a day.”
The competition pool was hardly high-tech in nature, constructed in Stockholm Harbor and consisting of salt water. But Durack wasn’t derailed by the conditions. Representing Australasia, a combined team from Australia and New Zealand, Durack opened her Olympic career in grand fashion, setting a world record of 1:19.8 during qualifying heats of the 100 freestyle. She followed by winning her semifinal easily, and then captured the gold medal with a time of 1:22.2, more than three seconds quicker than Wylie.
Great Britain’s Daisy Curwen was expected to be a medal contender in the final, but the former world-record holder was forced to withdraw from the competition after the semifinal round due to a bout of appendicitis. It was Curwen’s world record which Durack broke during the qualifying heats.
With Durack and Wylie the only Aussies competing in swimming, Australasia could not field a squad for the 400 freestyle relay, although it tried. Durack and Wylie offered to swim two legs each if Australasia was given the chance to race, but officials denied the request and Great Britain’s quartet of Belle Moore, Jennie Fletcher, Annie Speirs and Irene Steer went on to win the gold medal by nearly 12 seconds over Germany. Fletcher was the bronze medalist behind Durack and Wylie in the 100 freestyle and spoke of the limited practice time she and her teammates had in preparation for the 1912 Games. Said Fletcher years later:
“We swam only after working hours, and they were 12 hours and six days a week. We were told bathing suits were shocking and indecent, and even when entering competition, we were covered with a floor-length cloak until we entered the water.”
With only two women’s events, as opposed to the seven on the men’s program, there is no telling what Durack could have done if given the chance to contest additional events. But a lack of equality in the Olympic schedule has been more commonplace than not during the 100-plus years of the Games. From the first time women competed in swimming at the Olympics through the 1972 Games in Munich, men’s events always outnumbered women’s events.
And while men and women each competed in 13 events at the 1976 and 1980 Games, there were fewer women’s events over the next three Olympiads. Since 1996, however, the number of events between the genders has matched, albeit with a caveat. Through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, there was inequality in the length of the longest events on each program. While men’s distance swimmers contested the 1500 freestyle as their gender’s longest event, women covered just more than half that distance via the 800 freestyle.
A change is coming next summer, thanks to the International Olympic Committee’s decision to expand the men’s and women’s programs. The addition of the 1500 freestyle for women is belated recognition of the gender’s ability to handle demanding tests of skill and endurance.
A parallel can be found in the history of track and field. It wasn’t until the 1984 Games in Los Angeles in which women contested the marathon, and in some years prior, women’s distances were capped at 1,500 meters while male athletes were given the opportunity to double in the 5,000 and 10,000.
Katie Ledecky – Photo courtesy: TYR
“I was happy to see it,” said world-record holder Katie Ledecky of the addition of the 1500 freestyle. “I think adding the 1,500 was a long time coming. It’s good that there’s parity in the men’s and women’s distance events now.”
From 1912-1918, Durack set 11 world records over various distances, including three in the 100-meter freestyle. Her fastest time of 1:16.2 from 1915 lasted as the world record for five years, until American Ethelda Bleibtrey won Olympic gold in 1:14.4. A Durack-Bleibtrey duel would have been a highlight event of the 1920 Games, but illness prevented Durack from racing.
After being denied the chance to defend her Olympic title in 1916 due to the cancellation of the Games by World War I, Durack was hoping to repeat in 1920, but appendicitis put an end to that dream. More, Durack came down with typhoid fever and pneumonia a week before Australia’s athletes were scheduled to sail to Europe for the Antwerp Games.
In between competitions, Durack took part in numerous world tours, along with Wylie, in which they would race one another and demonstrate the Australian crawl, the stroke which Durack made famous and used to become a world-record holder. Durack’s vast achievements earned her induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967, the third year of the Hall’s existence.
“Fanny Durack not only took on all comers the world over, but beat all comers the world over for eight years in the formative years of women’s swimming,” reads Durack’s profile in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Generations at the Pool: The Barrowman father-daughter duo come together from the Cayman Islands to Doha
Shared from and Written by Tatsuo Ogura, World Aquatics Correspondent
Mike Barrowman, Olympic gold medallist and former world record holder in the men’s 200m breaststroke, stood on the pool deck of the World Aquatics Championships in Doha. It was a mixture of familiar yet strange moments for him, being around the water and other swimmers, with memories of his past achievements echoing in his mind.
This time, however, he isn’t here to compete, but to support three swimmers from the Cayman Islands, including his own daughter, Harper Barrowman, along with James Richard Allison and Jillian Janis Geohagan Crooks on the squad.
“Thirty-two years,” he reflected, coming back to the world stage and looking around at how much the landscape of swimming has changed. “It’s quite a challenge to see how things have changed. But at the core, it’s still 50 meters of water, still wet. It’s different, yet familiar. It’s nice to be here.”
Barrowman Senior is recognised as one of the all-time legends of the sport. He broke the 200m breaststroke world record six times over eleven years during a remarkable winning streak where he took 15 of 16 major national and international titles. The last time he competed in the world championships was 33 years ago in Perth, Australia.
Image Source: Mike Barrowman en route to winning gold at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics (Simon Bruty/Allsport)
His final Olympic appearance was in Barcelona in 1992, where he held onto his world record for a decade until Japanese swimming legend Kosuke Kitajima broke it in 2002 in Busan. Since then, his journey led him to coach at the University of Michigan for a few years before he left the world of swimming and settled in the beautiful Cayman Islands with his family. Being at the world championships as a team official was a new role for him, one that he embraced with a mix of nostalgia and pride.
Here is a question, however, “Why is he coming back?”
“I was the last guy in line,” he explained. “We had our national championships at the same time and they needed somebody to fill the role. So they asked, ‘Can you do it?’”
Image Source: Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Harper, his daughter, had already made her mark in the swimming world during the previous summer in Fukuoka. This is her second appearance at the world championships here in Doha. For her, competing on the world stage alongside her idols was a dream come true. But having her parents by her side this time made the experience even more special.
“To have your parents here, it really shows the support, and I really like that,” Harper explained, her eyes shining with pride and joy she felt in her father’s return to the swimming realm. “With everything he did, he’s left the swimming world behind. So to have him come back into that role for me, that’s really special to see.”
Growing up, Harper had heard countless stories and watched old video footage of her father’s legendary performances. Mike Barrowman is not just a swimming icon; he is her father, her mentor, her inspiration. His experience and wisdom are invaluable assets not only to her but to the entire Cayman Islands national team too.
Image Source: Al Bello/Getty Images
As Harper prepared to dive into the same waters at the world championships where her father had once excelled at the world championships, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of connection and reverence. “Every time it’s incredible to be able to stand up in front of the pool and think that this is exactly what he did, thinking and feeling the same things that he did,” she remarked. “It’s really something special to be able to participate in the same thing that he did.”
With Mike’s presence, the Cayman Islands national team had their sights set on history-making moments. Jordan Crooks, Jillian’s older brother and a contender in the men’s sprint, carried the hopes of a nation eager for Olympic glory. The chance of winning the first-ever Olympic medal for the Cayman Islands in Paris is getting closer, highlighting the dedication and passion of the athletes.
“My days in swimming are limited,” said Barrowman senior when asked if he would be seen on the pool deck more often. “I enjoy watching my daughter swim, but it’s not something I’m ready to get back into.”
As the championships progressed in Doha, father and daughter shared moments of pride, excitement, and anticipation. The future is uncertain, but one thing is clear—they are united in their love for swimming and their determination to pursue their dreams, wherever they may lead.
Katie Ledecky Eager to Continue to Raise Bar with Rivals
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Katie Ledecky Eager to Continue to Raise Bar With Rivals
Internal motivation has always been a trademark of Katie Ledecky, widely considered the greatest female swimmer in history. The American star has routinely chased herself since emerging on the international scene as a 15-year-old at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. There, Ledecky captured the first Olympic title of her career, winning the 800-meter freestyle.
But in a recent interview with People Magazine, Ledecky indicated that she is eager to again clash with some of the world’s best in her sport. Ledecky spoke of the motivation provided by the excellence of her fellow competitors, and their combined efforts to take swimming to new levels.
“I love the competition. I love competing against the world’s best,” Ledecky told People. “It’s fun to race and I always look forward to those opportunities, so it’s been fun to see what other people can do. We’re always trying to set the bar higher and higher in the sport.”
Helping Ledecky raise that bar have been Australian ace Ariarne Titmus, the reigning Olympic champ in the 400 freestyle, and Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh. Recently, McIntosh became the No. 2 performer in history – behind Ledecky – in the 800 freestyle. McIntosh is also the world-record holder in the 400 individual medley and former standard holder in the 400 freestyle.
As the United States Olympic Trials in June approach, followed by the Olympic Games in Paris, Ledecky is preparing to compete at a fourth Games. She is the three-time defending champion in the 800 freestyle and won the inaugural women’s 1500 freestyle at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Ledecky also won gold in the 400 freestyle at the 2016 Games and took silver in that event in Tokyo.
As we close out Black History month, let’s take a look at ISHOF’s Black History Exhibit……”Black Splash” and the importance of “A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK6jR4zvcLg
Several years ago, ISHOF CEO, Bruce Wigo, partnered with the Dillard Museum and Derek T. Davis, Curator to bring an exhibit to Fort Lauderdale on the history of African American Swimming. Watch the video here.
The Importance of “A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim”
by Bruce Wigo
Black History Month is a time for us in the aquatic community to reflect on why more African Americans and people of color don’t swim. Especially because for 400 years (the period from from 1451 – 1860), Africans, Native Americans and the indigenous populations of Oceana “excelled all others in the arts of swimming and diving”. The cultural history of swimming is both tragic and fascinating and while it helps explain how people of color lost their aquatic traditions and how European/Caucasians became the most accomplished swimmers – it’s only part of the story.
Recently, A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim was released on the internet. I was lucky enough to see it before its release. It’s just 33 minutes long, but it touches on all the important cultural stereotypes and excuses that keep Blacks and other minorities out of the water.
A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim is about British hip-hop artist Ed Accura’s fears and anxiety with swimming. The film depicts the effects of the stigma, stereotypes and myths and also highlights the views of various people in his community. The aim of the film, he says, is to help eradicate the negative views associated with black people and swimming as well as encouraging more to learn toswim thus reducing the number of deaths by drowning.
Ed plays “Frank Awuah” a neurotic character who, after hearing a news report about the inevitable floods from global warming, develops a phobia for water because he can’t swim. He buys a life jacket and wears it everywhere. His friends think he’s gone loony. “Frank, if you’re worried about drowning just go learn to swim.” But Frank has a little devil in his ear that keeps telling him “Blacks can’t Swim!” “Your bones are too dense!” “Blacks can’t even float, ha ha!” All the negative messages you can imagine.
In between the vignettes of Frank’s inner voice telling him he can’t swim are interviews with Frank’s friends who do their best to dispel the myths and stereotypes and discuss their ideas why Blacks don’s swim. “It’s fear!” “It’s a middle-class upper class thing.” “It’s expensive” “Chlorine and chemicals ruins our hair and skin.” “People are ashamed to admit they can’t swim so they just stay away from the water.” “It’s not part of our culture.” “We have other priorities!” “Look, if you ask Black people if they can swim 500 yards they look at you like you’re from another planet.”
Frank is even afraid to take a bath. “What did I tell you Frank?” says his evil inner voice. “Just stay away from the water! There’s zero chance of drowning if you just stay away from the water! Ha! Ha! ”
One of Frank’s friends says he learned because it was part of his school’s curriculum. Several other had children who could swim. Another tells of a school swimming class. He could swim “ok”, but not as good as the white kids, but he was better on the track. This discouraged him and confirmed the stereotype about swimming, so that was it for swimming.
In one of the last scenes, Frank, wearing his life jacket, is driving his car. His wife is in the passenger seat. “You’re being ridiculous, why don’t you just learn to swim,” she says. “But Blacks can’t swim!” – he retorts. In the back seat is Frank’s daughter. “But I can swim daddy,” she says.
The film ends with Frank in the pool and an image of 2016 Olympic champion Simone Manuel. Of course Blacks can swim! Interestingly in an online interview, Accura relates that one of the reasons he never learned to swim is that he was comfortable in the stereotype that “Blacks can’t swim.” He also believes that today, it is a matter of priorities. It’s just not a priority within the minority community.
It should be. But it’s not just a matter of water safety. All humans spend their first nine months as swimmers. When we emerge from the womb we all have the bradycardia reflex, which is part of the mammalian diving reflex – just like dolphins, whales and seals. When our faces are exposed to cold water as infants, our hearts slows down and blood is shifted away from the peripheral muscles to conserve oxygen for the brain and heart, and we hold their breath. We are of the sea and it is no coincidence that our body fluids are nearly identical to sea water. There is something that is spiritual, if you will, about the water.
In his book, the Blue Mind, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, explores the Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What We do. In addition learning-to-swim can open minds to the two-thirds of the planet that is covered with water and to the innumerable recreational and opportunities that are denied to those who cannot swim.
Accura is to be greatly commended for exploring this issue and changing world culture where everyone can swim. The earth is, after all, the only planet we know of that has liquid water. How can you be an earthling and not know how to enjoy an element that covers 2/3rd of our planet.
To learn more about the film and to support it: Click Here
Watch these great videos celebrating Cullen Jones as he marks his 40th birthday!!!
Cullen meets the NBA……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4IJf7-kZHU
Learn about Cullen’s life in his own words……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3DufyD4Rj4
Watch Brett Hawke’s entire entire with Cullen Jones!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4EI2snSdvE
Cullen JONES (USA)
FOR THE RECORD: 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (men’s 4 x 100 medley relay), silver (men’s 50m freestyle, 4 x 100 freestyle relay); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay); 2009 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay); ); 2007 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay), silver (men’s 50m freestyle); 2006 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): silver (men’s 50m freestyle), bronze (men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay); 2015 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: bronze (4 x 100m freestyle relay); 2006 PAN PACIFIC GAMES: gold (men’s 50m freestyle, 4 x 100m freestyle relay);
Cullen Jones is a two-time Olympian winning two gold and two silver medals. He is the first African American to hold a world record (4 x 100-mete freestyle relay) in swimming. At the 2008 U.S Olympic Trials, Cullen broke the American record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.59. The record didn’t last long, as it was broken the next day by teammate, Garrett Weber-Gale. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, his first Olympics, he won his first gold, as part of the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay, in a world record breaking time of 3:08.24. The relay team included Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale and Jason Lezak. The next year, Jones set the American record in the 50m freestyle at the U.S Nationals in Indianapolis. In 2012, Cullen swam at the Olympic Trials in Omaha and qualified first in the 50-meter freestyle, just ahead of Anthony Ervin, qualifying him for his second Olympic team. He placed second in the 100-meter freestyle which qualified for his second individual event, which subsequently qualified him a spot on the 4 x 100 freestyle relay.
At the 2012 Games in London, Cullen won silver in the 50-meter freestyle and as part of the 4 x 100m freestyle relay. He also earned his second Olympic gold medal, as part of the 4 x 100m medley relay, swimming in the preliminaries. Cullen made history at the London Games, as the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team was the first Olympic Swim Team with more than one black swimmer on it ~ the U.S. had three in 2012, Anthony Ervin, Lia Neal and Cullen Jones.
Happy Birthday Cullen!
ISHOF Announces its Stellar Aquatic Class of 2024
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce its prestigious Class of 2024. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from seven countries: three individual swimmers and one relay team, one coach, two divers, two water polo players, one synchronized swimmer, one contributor and one Paralympic swimmer, its second ever. The induction event will be held Saturday, October 5, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include:
HONOR SWIMMERS: Lars Frölander (SWE), Daniel Gyurta (HUN), Dana Vollmer (USA) and the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal winning Women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay team (USA) consisting of Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton* and Jill Sterkel; HONOR DIVERS: Alexander Despatie (CAN), Yulia Pakhalina (RUS); HONOR SYNCHRONIZED (ARTISTIC) SWIMMER: Virginie Dedieu (FRA); HONOR WATER POLO: Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA), Vladimir Akimov* (USSR); HONOR COACH: Dennis Pursley (USA); HONOR CONTRIBUTOR: Dale Neuburger (USA) and PARALYMPIAN: to be named soon in a separate release.
*deceased
1976 USA Women’s Gold Medal 400 Free Relay
Honor Swimmers:
Lars FRÖLANDER (SWE)
Swedish Swimmer, Lars Frölander is a six-time Olympian, competing in six consecutive Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012). In the 1992 Olympic Games, he competed in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay finishing second behind the Unified Team. In the 1996 Games, Frölander and his team again finished second in the same event. The pinnacle of Frölander’s career had to be when he captured gold in the 100m butterfly at the Olympic Games in September 2000, in Sydney. A couple of months prior he had broken the world record in the men’s 100m butterfly twice (short course).
He is a nine-time World Champion and 12-time European Champion in the freestyle and butterfly events. Lars first competed in World Championship competition in 1993 (Palma-SC) and 1993 (Sheffield-LC), and in both championships, he was part of the gold medal winning 4 x 200m freestyle relay, He also took the silver in Sheffield in the long course event in the 100-meter butterfly. Frölander went on to win a total of 21 World Championship medals in his career: nine of them gold, seven silver, and four bronze.
He was one of the greatest swimmers in SMU history, dominating the pool during his career as a Mustang, swimming for the late great Coach Eddie Sinnott. Frölander was the 1998 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, winning the NCAA Championship in two events – the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly. He won the same pair of championships in 1997 and the 100 butterfly as a freshman in 1995.
Daniel GYURTA (HUN)
Daniel Gyurta, of Hungary, was a breaststroke specialist, specializing in the 200-meter. He is a four-time Olympian, with a gold and a silver and a three-time world record holder. He is a five-time World Champion, all in the 200-meter breaststroke, and an eight-time European Champion, seven in the 200 and one title in the 100-meter breast, both long and short course. Gyurta has over 30 National Championships, with too many national records to count.
He was awarded the Order of Merit by the Republic of Hungary in 2004 (Knight’s Cross), in 2010 (Officer’s Cross), and in 2012, ( Commander’s Cross); Voted Hungarian Swimmer of the Year five times (2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013), and was the Hungarian Sportsman of the Year, three times, as voted by journalists (2009, 2012, 2013). He was voted Best Youth Hungarian Athlete of the Year by the National Hungarian Sports Association (2011); He was Swimming World Magazine’s European Swimmer of the Year in 2013; Daniel was given the UNESCO Fair Play Award in 2014. In 2015, he was chosen Hungarian University Athlete of the Year and a year later, in 2016, he was elected to the International Olympic Committee by his fellow athletes.
Dana VOLLMER (USA)
American Dana Vollmer is a three-time Olympian, competing in 2004, 2012, and 2016, who specialized in the freestyle and the butterfly events. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and broke six world records.
At the age of 12, Vollmer was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 2000 Olympic Trials, however, she did not make the team. Four years later, Vollmer did make the 2004 Centennial Olympic Games in Athens, where she won her first Olympic gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 800m freestyle relay, setting a new world record, breaking one which had stood for the previous 17 years. She just missed making the 2008 Olympic team, but that did not discourage her. At the London Games in 2012, Vollmer had qualified for the 100-meter butterfly and she walked away with her first individual Olympic gold medal of the Olympics, while also setting a new world record. In addition, she swam as a member of the 800m freestyle relay, where she and her teammates won gold, and then again in the 4 x 100 medley relay, where the USA women’s team again won the gold, breaking the world record, previously set by China in 2009.
17 months after giving birth to her first son, in March 2015, Vollmer was in top shape again and ready for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She walked away from her third Games not only with a medal of each color: a gold in the 400m medley relay, a silver in the 400m freestyle relay and a bronze in the 100m butterfly, but as the only Mother in the sport of swimming to win a gold medal.
Vollmer won a total of 32 medals in major international competitions, including 19 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals. The events included the Olympic Games, the FINA World Championships, the Pan American Games, the Pan-Pac Championships, and the Goodwill Games, making her one of the most decorated Olympic female swimmers.
The 1976 USA Women’s Gold Medal 400 Freestyle Relay Team (USA)
The 1976 Olympic Games for women’s swimming will always be tainted by the East German doping scandal. Everyone suspected it at the time, but it was not confirmed until decades later.
The East German women were systematically doped by their country and coaches and thus won every event. Except one. The last one. The 4 x 100 freestyle relay, where the world witnessed Americans, Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Jill Sterkel and Kim Peyton*, swim out of their minds beating the East Germans out of sheer determination and frustration, in a world record time of 3:44.82. The win was one of the most shocking and exciting finishes of the Games because the East German women had won every event in the swimming program.
The 4 x 100m free relay was the last event of the Games. Everyone could see the German girls were on steroids due to their low voices, excessive body hair and manly shapes. The American girls had even said when they first heard the East German girls talking and even saw a couple of them, they thought they had entered the men’s locker room by mistake. All through the 1976 Games, it was sad and frustrating for the other girls, particularly the Americans, as they could not capture gold, yet many went into the Games as the favorites.
However, in the last event, things finally turned around. Kim Peyton went first and started the girls off. On the second leg of the relay, Wendy Boglioli produced the fastest split of her career by two seconds, swimming 55.81. Jill Sterkel then split 55.78, the fastest of any woman in the field, on the third leg giving U.S. anchor, Shirley Babashoff the lead. Shirley held on as the U.S. pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the history of swimming and set a world record in the process by four seconds. Whether it was out of sheer willpower, determination or karma, the East German women were beaten. The performance sparked the inspiration for the 2016 film, The Last Gold.
Honor Divers:
Alexander DESPATIE (CAN)
Canadian Diver, Alexander Despatie, is the only diver to have won a World Championship in all three individual events, the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform. He was also World Champion on the 1 and 3-meter springboards from 2005-2007. He is a 37-time Canadian senior diving champion and nine-time junior champion, as well as the most decorated male diver in Canadian history, winning two silver medals in Olympic competition and being crowned world champion three times, while reaching the medal stand a total of eight times.
He has also had a successful synchronized diving career with partner, Arturo Miranda, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 in the 1- and 3-meter springboards, following it up with silver in the 3-meter synchro event at the World Championships in 2007, and in 2008, he and Miranda finished a respectable 5th in the 3-meter synchro event at the Olympic Games.
He is a three-time Olympian, winning a total of sixty medals in international competition, 19 gold, 23 silver and 18 bronze. In 2018, Despatie was inducted into Canada’s Sport’s Hall of Fame.
Yulia PAKHALINA (RUS)
Like 1990 ISHOF Honor Diver, Irina Kalinina, one of this year’s Honor Diver’s, Yulia Pakhalina, was also born in Penza, a city in western Russia, just a little less than 400 miles west of Moscow. Yulia is a three-time Olympian, specializing in the 3-meter springboard, winning one gold, three silver and one bronze medal in Olympic competition.
In her first Olympic Games, Pakhalina competed in the 3-meter synchro competition in Sydney 2000, with partner, Vera Ilyina. They won the gold medal in the inaugural event. Pakhalina and partner Ilyina won silver at the next Games in Athens in 2004, with Yulia also capturing bronze in the individual 3-meter event. Everything would be different at the 2008 Games in Beijing though, at her third and final Olympiad. Yulia had a new partner in Anastasia Pozdnyakova. Yet, somehow, she and Anastasia were able to come away with the silver medal in the synchronized 3-meter event, the same medal, she and Vera had won four years earlier. In addition, Yulia was able to improve her medal from 2004, and she captured her second silver of the games in the individual 3-meter, bringing her Olympic medal total to five.
In between the Olympic Games, Yulia was a three-time World Champion on the 1- and 3-meter springboard, reaching the podium a total of eight times as well as being an eight-time European Champion between 1995 and 2008.
Yulia moved to the United States to attend college at the University of Houston, diving under Jane Figueiredo, where she became a three-time All-American, wining five NCAA Championships and five conference titles. She was also a two-time NCAA and Conference USA Diver of the Year. Pakhalina won 64 of the 66 collegiate diving events she entered while at UH, with her only losses coming during the finals of the NCAA Championships.
Today, Yulia is married and has made Houston her home, with her husband and two children.
Honor Water Polo Players:
Vladimir AKIMOV* (USSR)
Vladimir Akimov played for the team of Moscow Navy CSK, winning multiple USSR National Championships. He was USSR Champion in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983 and USSR Cup winner in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 & 1982. He won the European Cup in 1976, the Super Cup in 1976, 1980 & 1982 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1980 & 1982.
Vladimir was a member of the USSR National team winning the gold medal in the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games. With his team, he also won the 1982 World Championships in Guayaquil (Ecuador), the silver medal in the 1981 European Championships in Split, Croatia and was part of the gold medal team at the 1981 Water Polo World Cup. Akimov is considered one of the best defenders in the world from the mid 1970’s to the early 1980’s. He tragically passed away at age 34 on October 5, 1987.
Carmela “Lilli” ALLUCCI (ITA)
Carmela “Lilli” Allucci was an Italian female water polo player. She competed at the 2004 Olympic Games as the captain of the Italian team that won the gold medal, at only the second Olympic Games where women competed. As a member of the Italian team, Alluci has two World Championship titles and one silver medal. She has four European Championship titles, along with two silver medals and a bronze. She is the second most titled player at the European Championships, only behind Netherlands player, Hedda Verndon. In FINA World Cup competition, Carmela and team took silver in 1993, and bronze in 1999 and in FINA World League competition, she won silver in 2006 and bronze in 2004. She has won seven consecutive titles with Team “Volturno” (1985-1991).
She was given the honor of carrying the Italian flag at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games.
Allucci was awarded the Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003, at the initiative of the President of the Republic; Commander of the Order of the Merit of the Italian Republic, again at the initiative of the President. Carmela was also presented with the Gold Collar with Sporting Merit in 1998.
Honor Synchronized Swimmer (Artistic Swimming):
Virginie DEDIEU (FRA)
Virginie Dedieu is the most successful artistic swimmer from the country of France and one of the most impressive to ever come from the continent of Europe. Her combination of stunning artistry and technical excellence earned her three consecutive FINA World Championship solo titles (2003, 2005 and 2007). In 2005, while watching her free solo performance, the television commentator called Virginie the “perfect swimmer.”
She is a three-time Olympian, winning a bronze medal in 2000 in the duet competition. In the solo event, she is a five-time medalist, three-time World Champion with two silvers and a bronze in the duet; Virginie is also a two-time European Champion, in the solo event, with three silvers to go along with her golds; In the duet competition at the European Championships, she has three silvers and two bronze.
Up until today, Virginie is the only solo synchro champion not to come from one of the powerhouse countries in artistic swimming. Until Virginie, all of the other solo champions have had teams behind them that have scored medals in other events at the same World Championships. Virginie is unique because of her solo talent, and even more so, because of her influence as a choreographer.
Honor Coach:
Dennis “Denny” PURSLEY
Dennis “Denny” Pursley is a five-time Olympic Coach, from the USA, but his coaching career and coaching success spans the globe.
He was first selected as a 1980 Olympic Assistant Coach under George Haines, as he produced six Olympians from his successful program, the Cincinnati Pepsi Marlins; Mary T. Meagher, Glenn Mills, Stephanie Elkins, Kim Carlisle, Bill Barrett, and Lisa Buese.
Pursley was named the first Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport in 1981, and he led a resurgence in Australia swimming with a second-place finish in the 1984 Olympic medal count to the USA.
In 1984 USA Swimming created a new paid staff position called National Team Director. Dennis Pursley was the first person hired by USA Swimming to fill this position. The USA Team finished first in the medal count in both the men’s and women’s competitions in all three Olympiads (1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney), culminating with 33 medals (14 golds) in the 2000 Olympics, which was described by Sports Illustrated magazine as the greatest team performance of all time. Per Mike Unger, of FINA, “Denny set the National team up for success, from start to finish for 14 key years”.
In 2008, Pursley was hired by Great Britain to be the Head Coach of British Swimming. In the Fall of 2012, he headed back to the states and became the Head Coach of the University of Alabama, his alma mater. During Pursley’s years at Alabama, the men placed in the top-10 at the NCAA’s four times, finishing seventh in the last year of Denny’s tenure, while the women placed at the last six-straight national championships of his career.
To name just a few of his many awards and accolades, he was inducted into the ASCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006, voted one of the most influential people in the history of USA Swimming (2013), given the US Olympic Committee Chairman’s Coaching Award (2000), and was named ASCA Coach of the Year in 1980.
Dennis Pursley retired from coaching in 2019.
Honor Contributor:
Dale NEUBURGER (USA)
Dale Neuburger has spent a lifetime in service to aquatic sports and Olympic ideals. He was elected as Vice President of FINA on five occasions (2000, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017) representing the 45 National Federations of the Americas. In 2021, he was elected as FINA Treasurer, and, in 2023, he was elected as World Aquatics Treasurer for a term ending in 2027.
Since 2005, he has served as the Bureau Liaison to the FINA/World Aquatics Technical Swimming Committee and Chairman of the FINA Technical Swimming Commission, overseeing all FINA/World Aquatics swimming competitions.
Mr. Neuburger has been appointed by FINA/World Aquatics and the International Olympic Committee to be the Technical Delegate for the swimming competition for five Olympic Games: 2008 Beijing, through 2024 Paris. The technical delegate roles encompass competition director duties, as well as general oversight of all venue-related issues.
Since its creation in 2009, Mr. Neuburger has been the Chairman of the FINA Development Commission, appointed by FINA President Julio C. Maglione. In this role, he has helped to create its extensive Athlete Scholarship Program, implement the Swim for All/Swim for Life Program and Pools for All Program, and created five global training centers for athletes from developing countries.
In 2015, Mr. Neuburger was elected as President of UANA (now known as Pan Am Aquatics), the Continental Association for aquatics serving the 45 National Federations of the Americas. Simultaneously, he was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of ACODEPA, the council of continental sport organizations that oversees sport competition in the Pan American Games. In 2019, he was elected First Vice President of ACODEPA, and he retained a position on its Executive Committee in the run-up to the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago (CHL) and served as Technical Delegate for Swimming at the Games.
Mr. Neuburger was a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee for eight years, from 1994 to 2002, and a member of its Executive Committee from 1996 to 2000. In recognition of his prominence within the USOC structure, Mr. Neuburger was designated to serve as Deputy Chef de Mission of the 531-member United States delegation for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games that won 101 medals, topping the medals standings.
Honor Paralympian: TBA
Look for more information coming soon and visitwww.ishof.org and www.swimmingworld.com regularly to keep up with all the news.
Hotel and ticket Information coming soon….
For more information:
contact: Meg Keller-Marvin
Honoree & Olympian Liaisonmeg@ishof.org
570.594.4367
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