Dive with Pride! New Date: Thursday, June 20th
DIVE WITH PRIDE | High Dive Global & The International Swimming Hall of Fame are proud to announce a pop-up high diving event to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday, June 20th, 2024 from 5:00-8:00 PM!
High Dive Global & The International Swimming Hall of Fame are excited to host their inaugural “Dive With Pride” event to celebrate Pride Month at the newly renovated Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center. This special pop-up event will include a world-class high diving show, an epic MC & DJ, and open bar. There will also be door prizes and a costume contest so make sure you come dressed in festive Pride attire!
Date: Thursday, June 20th
Time: VIP 5:00-8:00 PM / GA 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
Tickets: https://highdiveglobal.ticketspice.com/dive-with-pride
Ticket Options:
GA Tickets ($75): General Admission includes open bar, light appetizers, door prizes, and an exclusive high dive show.
VIP Tickets ($150): VIP Experience starts at 5:00 pm and includes everything from GA plus an exclusive walk to the top of the platform 90 feet in the air with a professional high diver and virtual reality high dive experience. This is an experience that is not open to the public yet!
Private Lounge ($2,500): Book your own private experience for the event! Private lounge areas can accommodate up to 10 people and include your own personal bartender for a more intimate experience. VIP Lounge starts at 5:00 pm and includes an exclusive walk to the top of the platform 90 feet in the air with a professional high diver and virtual reality high diving experience that is not available to the public yet!
For More Information Please Contact:
Ellie Smart, CEO High Dive Global
Every Child A Swimmer Legislation introduced in New York
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – May 23, 2024 – The Every Child a Swimmer Program, a division of theInternational Swimming Hall of Fame, provides low to no-cost scholarships to swim schools to fund lessons forlow-income families and also advocates for life saving legislation.
In 2021, with the leadership of Dr. Bill Kent, International Swimming Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board, theEvery Child a Swimmer legislation was passed in the state of Florida. It requires all schools in the state toprovide parents, when they initially enroll their child in school, with information on the important role watersafety education courses and swimming lessons play in saving lives. It also requires schools to include info onlocal options for age-appropriate swim lessons and how they can receive those lessons for free or at a reducedcost.
This same legislation passed in Georgia and Arkansas in 2023. New York is the next state to consider this life-saving legislation. Senator Cleare introduced this act to amend the education law on May 10th, proposing the
act to take effect July 1, 2024.Every Child a Swimmer strives to get this legislation passed in all 50 states, as well as spread education andhelp fund swim lessons around the world. It’s imperative that every child in the world is educated in watersafety and has access to local lessons. Every child deserves to learn this basic survival skill. You can helpdonate today at https://everychildaswimmer.org/donate/.
If you are in need of lessons, you can find a swim school who is offering scholarships based on financial needhere: https://everychildaswimmer.org/find-a-lesson/.
For Immediate ReleaseMedia Contact: Casey McGovern – Program ManagerPhone – 954.275.9035Email: casey@everychildaswimmer.org
Chairman Bill Kent welcomes David Lawrence, Jr. to ISHOF for a visit
This week, ISHOF’s Chairman of the Board, Bill Kent played host to Mr. David Lawrence, Jr. of Coral Gables, Florida, and gave him a brief tour of ISHOF and the aquatic facility, explaining the history of ISHOF and Every Child A Swimmer, ISHOF’s spiritual mission.
Mr. Lawrence retired in 1999 as publisher of The Miami Herald (during his tenure the paper won 5 Pulitzer Prizes) to work in the area of early childhood development and readiness. He chairs The Children’s Movement of Florida, aimed at making children the state’s top priority for investment and decision-making.
In 2002 and 2008 he led successful campaigns for The Children’s Trust, a dedicated source of early intervention and prevention funding for children in Miami-Dade. In 2002-3 he chaired the Governor’s Blue-Ribbon Panel on Child Protection, and in 2011 chaired a similar panel for the Secretary of the Department of Children and Families. In 2002, he was a key figure in passing a statewide constitutional amendment to provide pre-K for all 4-year-olds. The David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Public School opened in 2006. An endowed chair in early childhood studies is established in his name at the University of Florida College of Education. He is a trustee of Barry University and for six years served in a similar role at Florida A & M University. His memoir, “A Dedicated Life: Journalism, Justice and a Chance for Every Child,” was published in 2018.
He is a graduate of the University of Florida and the Advanced Management program at the Harvard Business School. His 13 honorary doctorates include one from his alma mater, the University of Florida. His national honors include the National Association of Minority Media Executives award for & lifetime achievement in diversity.
His honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for “outstanding commitment to serving our nation,” the LeRoy Collins Lifetime Leadership Award from Leadership Florida, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service “Citizen of the Year,” the Fred Rogers Leadership Award from the Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families, the Sand in My Shoes Award from the Greater Miami Chamber, the Claude Pepper Lifetime Achievement Award from United Homecare, the Equal Justice Humanitarian Leadership Award as “a trailblazer in the pursuit of equity and justice” from Legal Services of Greater Miami, the Champion of Philanthropy Award on National Philanthropy Day, and the 40th Miami Book Fair anniversary award for “relentless dedication, visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to making lasting impacts.”
Chairman Kent and Mr. Lawrence met through a mutual friend and immediately hit it off with many of the same interests and values. ISHOF’s Every Child A Swimmer (ECAS) program is right in the same line of thinking as Mr. Lawrence’s life’s work: helping children and readiness. ECAS teaches child to swim, giving them life-saving skills. Kent and Lawrence are on the same page when it comes to helping children. We look forward to welcoming Mr. Lawrence to ISHOF and Every Child A Swimmer events very soon.
Great Britain and the ISHOF family lose a great one: David Wilkie loses his battle with cancer…..
David Wilkie at his ISHOF Induction along with fellow Inductees
Gertrude Ederle’s family comes to ISHOF for a visit!
The first real modern day movie about a swimmer’s life story…….. our very own Honoree, Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle”. The movie opens nationwide next Friday, May 31, 2024, but Disney hosted some early premiers, inviting some top swimmers and Paralympians, and some of our favorite Honorees were included, like John Naber, Janet Evans, Jeff Farrell, Brian Goodell, John Kinsella, Bruce Furniss, MISHOF Honoree, 102-year old Maurine Kornfeld and others!
Disney asked Olympians, prominent swimmers and Paralympians to pose with star, Daisy Ridley at L.A. premier…..
Just as Disney is getting ready to release its new movie, “Young Woman and the Sea”, portraying the life of ISHOF Honoree, Gertrude Ederle, ISHOF got a visit from Ederle’s Grand Nephew, Justin and his son, Greyson. The Ederle’s were in South Florida on vacation and knew that had to make one important stop: at the International Swimming Hall of Fame and see the display of their Aunt Trudy. Justin says he was young when his Aunt Trudy was alive, (Ederle died in 2003) but he remembers her telling him exciting stories. Now that he is older and a father, he realizes he didn’t appreciate the significance of the stories, and what he was hearing; he was just too young. But he certainly does now! And he will carry those stories on to his son, Greyson and her sister.
Gertrude Ederle’s Great Nephew, Justin Ederle and his son, Greyson visit Aunt Trudy’s display at ISHOF last week, May, 2024
The Ederle family is very excited about the upcoming film and is planning on going to see it as soon as it opens. At six, Greyson, is a great swimmer, like his great Aunt Trudy and absolutely loves the water. After his visit to the museum, he made a point to go over and have a swim in the new Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center. Aunt Trudy would have approved!
Young Woman and the Sea is an upcoming American film based on the life of 1965 ISHOF Honoree Gertrude Ederle. The movie is produced by Walt Disney and stars Daisy Ridley, who plays the title role of “Trudy”, who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
Development on the film began in 2015 after producer Jerry Bruckheimer acquired the film rights to the book and settled in up at Paramount Pictures with Nathanson attached to write it and Lily James was cast as Ederle. Paramount eventually put the project in turnaround. In 2020, it was announced it was acquired by Walt Disney Pictures, with Ridley set to portray Ederle. The majority of the photography took place between May and June 2022. Originally set for release on the streaming service DisneyPlus. Walt Disney Pictures opted to release the film theatrically after positive test screenings from the public.
Young Woman and the Sea is scheduled to be released on May 31, 2024.
To read Trudy’s 1965 ISHOF Induction bio, click here: https://ishof.org/honoree/honoree-gertrude-ederle/
Let’s hear for Gertrude Ederle and her unlady-like behavior!
Click the link below and watch the fabulous short story by PBS on the life of Gertrude Ederle, who’s movie, The Young Woman and the Sea is set to open next Friday, May 31, 2024. Ederle was one of the original ISHOF Honorees in the first Class of 1965.
Lars Frölander to be inducted into ISHOF as Honor Swimmer ~ ninth Honoree representing Sweden
Swedish Swimmer Lars Frölander to be join the ISHOF Class of 2024
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 along with teammates, Christer Wallin, Anders Holmertz and Tommy Werner. The Swedish team finished second behind the Unified Team. In the 1996 Olympic Games, Frölander again finished second in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay with the Swedish team. This time the United States took the gold medal. Frölander also competed in the 100-meter freestyle, where he finished ninth in the heats but scratched the B-final, and in the 100-meter butterfly event, he finished a respectable 19th.
The pinnacle of Frolander’s career had to be when he captured gold in the 100-meter butterfly at the Centennial Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Several months prior he broke the world record in the men’s 100-meter butterfly twice (short course).
He is a nine-time World Champion and 12-time European Champion in the freestyle and butterfly events. Frölander went on to win a total of 21 World Championship medals in his career: nine of them gold, seven silver, and four bronze. 14 of his World Championship medals were won at the Short Course Championships
Lars attended university in the U.S.A., where he swam for Coach Eddie Sinnott in Dallas, Texas, (1995-1998) at Southern Methodist University. One of the great swimmers in SMU history, Frolander dominated the pool during his career as a Mustang. Frolander was the 1998 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, winning the NCAA Championship in two events – the 100-yd freestyle and 100-yd butterfly. Frolander won the same pair of championships in 1997 and the 100-yd butterfly as a freshman in 1995.
Come join Swedish Swimmer Lars Frölander and hear the rest of his amazing story, along with this year’s spectacular class of 2024 in Fort Lauderdale. If you cannot join us, please consider making a donation.
To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees include:
Honor Swimmers:
Lars Frölander (SWE)
Daniel Gyurta (HUN)
Dana Vollmer (USA)
1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Gold Medal Relay Team (USA)
(Includes Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton*, Jill Sterkel)
Honor Divers:
Alexandre Despatie (CAN)
Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)
Wu Minxia (CHN)
Honor Artistic Swimmer:
Virginie Dedieu (FRA)
Honor Water Polo Players:
Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA)
Vladimir Akimov* (USSR)
Honor Coach:
Dennis Pursley (USA)
Honor Contributor:
Dale Neuburger (USA)
Additional Awards presented Saturday night:
Al Schoenfield Media Award:
Peter Diamond (USA)
ISHOF Gold Medallion Award:
Alex Blavatnik (USA)
ISHOF 59th Annual Honoree Induction weekend
October 4-5, 2024 – Complete schedule will be forthcoming soon.
~ HOTEL INFORMATION ~
Host Hotel: Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50757008
321 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 467-1111.
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night,
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $199 per night
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SCHEDULE AND TICKETS.
Dennis Pursley to be inducted in Fort Lauderdale as Honor Coach in October, as part of ISHOF’s Class of 2024
During Dennis Pursley’s coaching career he was a five-time Olympic coach, a recipient of the U.S. Olympic Committee Chair’s Coaching Award, an American Swimming Coaches Association “Coach of The Year” and “Hall of Fame inductee” and was recognized in 2003 as one of the “25 Most Influential People in the History of USA Swimming”. He personally coached swimmers of both genders to world record performances as well as to the podium of the Olympic Games and/or to the long course World Championships in all four competitive strokes and both individual medley events.
Lakeside Swim Club
His coaching career began as a volunteer assistant coach under 1983 ISHOF Honor Coach, Don Gambril at the University of Alabama. In 1974, Dennis returned to his hometown as the head coach of Louisville’s Lakeside Swim Club, where he took a team of unranked status to a top 10 national championship finish. From Lakeside Swim Club, he moved on to the head coach for the Cincinnati Marlins and led them to three national championship team titles. After placing six swimmers on the 1980 USA Olympic Team, he was appointed to the USA Olympic Team coaching staff.
Cincinnati Marlins
He was named the first head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where he served as the head coach of the combined team for two years and of the men’s team until August 1984. At the 1984 Olympic Games, the AIS led a resurgence in Australian swimming with a second-place finish to the United States in the medal count.
Australian Sports Institute
In 1989, Pursley was appointed the first National Team Director of USA Swimming and was responsible for all aspects of the National Team program. During his 14-year tenure in this position the medal production of the USA in international competition increased substantially. The USA team finished first in the medal count in both men’s and women’s competitions in all three Olympiads, culminating with 33 medals (14 gold) in the 2000 Olympics which was described by “Sports Illustrated” magazine as the greatest team performance of all time. In recognition of his contributions, Pursley was presented the United States Olympic Committee Chairman’s Coaching Award for 2000.
In 2008 he was named head coach of British Swimming and served in that capacity through the 2012 London Olympics. After the 2012 Olympics, Coach Pursley returned to the University of Alabama as the head coach to lead his alma mater back to a position of national prominence. Pursley’s second year, the men’s team was named “Breakout Team of the Year” by the College Swimming Coaches Association and went on to achieve six consecutive top 15 finishes in the NCAA Championships in his seven-year tenure, including four top 10 finishes. His women’s team rewrote the school record books establishing new school records in 17 of the 19 events.
University of Alabama
Come join Coach Dennis Pursley and hear the rest of his amazing story, along with this year’s spectacular class of 2024 in Fort Lauderdale. If you cannot join us, please consider making a donation.
To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees include:
Honor Swimmers:
Lars Frölander (SWE)
Daniel Gyurta (HUN)
Dana Vollmer (USA)
1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Gold Medal Relay Team (USA)
(Includes Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton*, Jill Sterkel)
Honor Divers:
Alexandre Despatie (CAN)
Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)
Wu Minxia (CHN)
Honor Artistic Swimmer:
Virginie Dedieu (FRA)
Honor Water Polo Players:
Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA)
Vladimir Akimov* (USSR)
Honor Coach:
Dennis Pursley (USA)
Honor Contributor:
Dale Neuburger (USA)
Additional Awards presented Saturday night:
Al Schoenfield Media Award:
Peter Diamond (USA)
ISHOF Gold Medallion Award:
Alex Blavatnik (USA)
ISHOF 59th Annual Honoree Induction weekend
October 4-5, 2024 – Complete schedule will be forthcoming soon.
~ HOTEL INFORMATION ~
Host Hotel: Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50757008
321 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 467-1111.
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night,
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $199 per night
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SCHEDULE AND TICKETS.
Passages: ISHOF Honor Coach Jon Urbanchek, Iconic Olympic, Michigan Coach Dies; Legacy Will Endure
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
10 May 2024, 06:57am
Jon Urbanchek, one of the most iconic coaches in swimming history has died. He was 87.
He coached the University of Michigan from 1982-2004, winning an NCAA title, and was the U.S. coach at the Olympics in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. He was also an assistant for the U.S. in 2008 and 2012.
“Keep it moving” was his often-used phrase, a mantra for training as well as life. He coached 34 Olympic swimmers, who totaled seven gold, six silver and four bronze medals.
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2008 and Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
He innovated he called the Color System of training, which revolutionized swim coaching by allowing athletes to easily gauge and adjust their training intensity to match specific physiological goals. The color-coded system categorized training intensities for swimmers, aligning them with specific heart rate zones and levels of exertion. This system helps swimmers understand and adjust their training intensity more effectively.
Urbanchek was born in Hungary on Aug. 23, 1936. He emigrated to the U.S. to attend the University of Michigan, where he swam from 1959-61, winning the NCAA championship in the 1650 freestyle in 1961, and helping the Wolverines win the NCAA titles in 1969 and 1961.
Before coaching at Michigan, he taught and coached at Anaheim High School, coached at Garden Grove High School in California, co-founded Fullerton Aquatics and coached at Long Beach State.
Anaheim High School’s pool was renamed Jon Urbanchek Aquatics Complex in 2019.
At Michigan, he led the Wolverines to 13 Big Ten titles, including nine in a row, and an NCAA championship.
When he retired from that post in 2004, he remained in Ann Arbor to help coach the team as well as Club Wolverine, where several Olympians trained. His Olympic medalists include: Mike Barrowman (1992), Gustavo Borges (1992 and 2000), Tom Dolan (1992 and 1996), Dan Ketchum (2004), Brett Lang (1988), Tom Malchow (1996 and 2000), Eric Namesnik (1992 and 1996), Chris Thompson (2000), Peter Vanderkaay (2004), Marcel Wouda (2000) and Kaitlin Sandeno (2000 and 2004).
In 2010, Urbanchek moved back to California to lead the U.S. Olympic Post-Graduate Training Center at Fullerton Aquatics (FAST Swimming). He coached two swimmers to gold medals at the 2012 Olympics (Tyler Clary and Matt McLean) and served as special assistant coach for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.
Social media was flooded with reaction to his death.
“Urby is gone but his legacy lives on – a legend and my great friend. I already miss my cool calm and collected friend. Jon oozed with confidence wherever he went. When I was with him, I felt lifted by his contagious smile and attitude. I felt stronger thanks to the unshakable bond of candid friendship we had. As a coach, I saw in him the perfect combination of science and art. He was a genius of training and the world’s best at what he did. Truly, a few in the history of our sport stand at his rank. As a human being, he was as honest as they come, as kind as they can be, and as compassionate as I could witness in my lifetime. I am glad I got to travel around the world with him. I am glad I made him proud through our hard work and success. I am sorry he saw me frustrated and sad, struggling with injuries. But somehow, through it all he was still cool, calm and collected. And we kept it moving….He kept us moving. If you are looking for great leadership without ego, speak of my great friend Jon Urbanchek.
Rest in peace, Urby. I am sad you’re time is up down here but enjoy your time up there, buddy. Heaven is a better place with you in it my friend.” – OussamaMellouli
” No one has given more. The depth of this man’s commitment and love for the sport of swimming and his remarkable ability to express that love through caring for all of us is unmatched. Jon Urbanchek you have always been that one of a kind guy that listened, thought, and guided us well. I consider myself so blessed to have learned from you. Our time together getting coffee and setting up the pace clocks in the morning before practice at the Stanford Olympic Camp was priceless. Your focus on the “right things” never waivered. “Don’t complicate it John, just make him work hard and he’ll be just fine”. Urbs left us today without the spotlight on him, just as he wanted it.” – John Dussliere
“You will be missed. You’re far more than a coach and father figure to thousands of swimmers. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to swim with you.” – Steve West
“You will be missed terribly. The impact you had on me, my career, my family is like none other. You deserve nothing but peace and rest. Love you Jon Urbanchek #moveit.” – Emily Klueh
“I’m at a slight loss for words right now … I want to extend my condolences to all of the swimmers who shared Jon as their coach. We’re all hurting today, but we all get to celebrate that we had this great man touch and influence our lives too. And that’s what really matters. Godspeed, Jon.” – Erik Bacon
“I promise we will keep it moving, buddy.” – Bob Bowman
To read his ISHOF Honor Coach bio, click here: https://ishof.org/honoree/honoree-jon-urbanchek/
Happy Birthday Missy Franklin !
Missy Franklin (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2023)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4 x 200m freestyle relay); 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (100m, 200m backstroke, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, 4 x 100m medley relay), bronze (4 x 100m freestyle relay); FOUR WORLD RECORDS (two 200m backstroke, two 400x100m medley relay) 2015 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (4 x 200m freestyle relay, 4 x 100m mixed freestyle relay), silver (200m backstroke), bronze (200m freestyle, 4 x 100m freestyle relay); 2013 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m freestyle, 4 x 100m, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, 4 x 100m medley relay); 2011 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (200m backstroke, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, 4 x 100m medley relay), silver (4 x 100m freestyle relay), bronze (50m backstroke); 2010 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): silver (200m backstroke, 4 x 100m medley relay); 2014 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (4 x 200m freestyle relay), silver (4 x 100m medley relay, 4 x 100m freestyle relay), bronze (100m backstroke); 7-time NCAA INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION (two years at Cal Berkeley (2013-14 / 2014-15); Honda Cup (2015); Honda Sports Award (2015).
Her charismatic personality and ear-to-ear smile captivated the swimming world from the moment she emerged as an international superstar to the day she announced her retirement. Her countless fans were enthralled by a bubbly persona that – in part – made her a face of the sport, and one of the best-known Olympic athletes on the planet.
Of course, that likeability and charm would have gone unnoticed on the global stage if not for the vast talent, desire and hard work that carried Missy Franklin to the greatest of heights as an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and world-record setter.
Even before her teen years, Missy Franklin was pegged as a future star. Training with the Colorado Stars under the direction of coach Todd Schmitz, Franklin produced dazzling times across several events, including a collection of National Age Group records. It seemed obvious that – one day – she would establish herself as a headliner for Team USA.
A year after representing the United States at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, Franklin lost any remaining anonymity when she competed at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. The competition proved to be a launching point toward the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as Franklin claimed gold in the 200-meter backstroke and jumpstarted the U.S. 800 freestyle relay to victory with a stunning leadoff split. So impressive was Franklin on the front of the American relay that Katie Hoff, preparing to handle the third leg, turned to her teammates, and asked, “Did she just do that?”
Given her surge to international phenom, the expectations thrust upon Franklin were massive heading into the 2012 Olympic campaign. Yet, with her trademark smile, the 17-year-old Franklin handled the pressure with aplomb. At the London Games, Franklin was spectacular, tallying four gold medals and a bronze medal, and just missing another podium finish with a fourth-place effort in the 200 freestyle.
The highlights of Franklin’s Olympic debut were titles in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, races which unfolded in distinctly different fashion. While Franklin obliterated the field in the 200 backstroke, thanks to a world-record swim, she relied on an epic comeback to mine gold in the 100 backstroke.
Coming off the semifinals of the 200 freestyle, Franklin had only 15 minutes prior to the start of the final of the 100 back. With every minute precious, the U.S. coaching staff arranged for Franklin to use the diving well at the London Aquatic Center for her warm down. Ultimately, the approach paid dividends. Despite trailing Australian Emily Seebohm by a sizable margin at the turn and midway down the last length, Franklin continually narrowed her deficit down the stretch and touched the wall ahead of Seebohm. It was a triumph that can be described as nothing less than a spectacular combination of grit and determination.
At the next year’s World Championships in Barcelona, Franklin was even better, securing six gold medals, including individual titles in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 200 freestyle. It was an iconic performance, rating as one of the finest in the 50-year history of the World Championships.
Although injuries plagued Franklin over the next few years, she qualified for her second Olympics in 2016, and earned a medal in the 800-meter freestyle relay. She was also an NCAA team and individual champion at Cal-Berkeley and became the first woman to crack the 1:40 barrier in the 200-yard freestyle.
Franklin officially announced her retirement in late 2018, but for years to come, her contributions to the sport will be remembered – both for her skill in the water, and the way she carried herself among her teammates, competitors, and fans.