October Featured Honoree: Tsuyoshi Yamanaka (JPN) and his Memorabilia
Photo of Tsuyoshi Yamanaka doing his handprints at his induction in 1983
Each month ISHOF will feature an Honoree and some of their aquatic memorabilia, that they have so graciously either given or loaned to us. Since we are closed, and everything is in storage, we wanted to still be able to highlight some of the amazing artifacts that ISHOF has and to be able to share these items with you.
We continue in October 2025, with 1983 ISHOF Honoree, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka (JPN) Honor Swimmer. Tsuyoshi, donated many fabulous things to ISHOF, and we want to share some of them with you now. Also below is his ISHOF Honoree bio that was written the year he was inducted.
1964 Japan Olympic Team Blazer
Tsuyoshi Yamanaka Diploma
ISHOF Honoree Rebecca Adlington ‘Cautiously Overjoyed’ As She Announces Pregnancy
by Liz Byrnes – Europe Correspondent
24 September 2025
Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington is “cautiously overjoyed” as she reveals news of her pregnancy following two miscarriages.
Adlington shares son Albie, two, with husband Andy Parsons and daughter Summer, 10, with ex-husband and former swimmer Harry Needs and described her pregnancy as a “small miracle” in a social media post.
Adlington lost a baby at 12 weeks in 2022 and suffered a second miscarriage at 20 weeks a year later after which she gave birth to her daughter Harper two days after being told there was no heartbeat.
The 36-year-old posted a picture of her scan to social media with a post that read: “We want to share that we are expecting a child. It has been an emotional and physical rollercoaster navigating these past 19 months of trying, but this pregnancy has been a small miracle.
“We questioned whether we wanted to share this news but we want to continue to be open and honest about our journey and be mindful of the struggles that others have had and continue to have.
“We are taking each day as it comes and are incredibly grateful for the care we are receiving from the NHS (Rainbow Team) and are feeling overwhelmingly supported by them.
“While we are cautiously overjoyed, we carry awareness of the quiet struggles many face, and we send love to those hearts too. We know so many people are still waiting for this kind of news.”
Adlington was the gold medalist in the 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Seoul Anniversary: When the Backstroke Went Rogue – How Underwater Power Changed the Event
Daichi Suzuki at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after winning gold in the 100-meter backstroke Photo Courtesy: Daichi Suzuki
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
24 September 2025
On Sept. 24, 1988, the final of the men’s 100 backstroke at the Olympic Games in Seoul unfolded. The event featured underwater power never seen before.
Call it a game of hide and seek, an approach that left the coaches and officials on the deck guessing as much as the spectators who occupied the venue’s seats. When would they surface? Who would come up first? What kind of advantage would be created? How much late-race damage would the strategy inflict?
Daichi Suzuki and David Berkoff at the 1988 Seoul Olympics Photo Courtesy: Daichi Suzuki
It was at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul where Japan’s Daichi Suzuki, in a battle with American David Berkoff and the Soviet Union’s Igor Polyansky, raced to the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke while submerged for nearly half of the race, including the opening 30 meters.
How that moment arrived is a tale in itself.
Ahead of His Time
When Jesse Vassallo’s career is measured, it is always viewed from a what-if standpoint. Although not alone in the robbery he experienced—with politicians serving as the thieves—Vassallo was among the most impacted individuals by the United States boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. As a triple medalist at the 1978 World Championships, with gold medals earned in the 200 meter backstroke and 400 IM, Vassallo was expected to go to Moscow and shine on his sport’s biggest stage.
Instead, Vassallo was victimized by the decision of President Jimmy Carter to use America’s Olympic athletes as political pawns. In protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, Carter somehow thought not sending an Olympic team to Moscow would send a message. And in a way, a message was sent: Carter basically suggested that the athletes’ years of dedication and hard work were meaningless.
Photo Courtesy: Chris Georges
For Vassallo, who was at the peak of his career, the boycott robbed him of the opportunity to put forth the greatest performances of his career. Exacerbating the situation was the fact that his world-record time in the 400 IM would have won gold by more than two seconds, and his best time in the 200 back would have won the silver medal. Instead? Nothing.
As much as Vassallo is remembered for being denied the possibility of Olympic glory, he is also remembered as an innovator. In a sport frequented by giants, Vassallo was an anomaly, an athlete who could hold his own on the global stage despite standing only 5-feet-9-inches. The main negative of being on the small side—and in lanes next to more powerful swimmers—was being tossed around in his opposition’s wake. So, Vassallo got an idea.
“I decided to do the underwaters coming off the starts, and it worked pretty well,” Vassallo said in the documentary, How the Dolphin Kick Changed Swimming Forever. “After that, I continued to develop it and use it in my turns and stuff like that. I might be the one that originated and started this, but (others) really took it through to the Olympic level.”
The decision by Vassallo to utilize his underwater talent as an answer to a problem might have been innocent in its development. Ultimately, it eventually changed the sport.
A Game-Changing Innovation
The flirtation with an extended underwater approach may have proven beneficial for Vassallo, but it didn’t immediately catch on as a mainstream methodology. Still, there were a handful of athletes who dabbled with the tactic. Among them was Japan’s Suzuki, who raced underwater for the first 25 meters of the preliminaries of the 100 backstroke at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Suzuki, though, failed to advance to the final, which consequently left his willingness to try a unique strategy temporarily lost on the rest of the world.
Daichi Suzuki launching into the 100-meter backstroke at the 1988 Seoul Olympics Photo Courtesy: Daichi Suzuki
While Suzuki did not benefit from his unorthodox style at the Los Angeles Games, Berkoff recognized the potential of extended time spent underwater. A solid backstroker when he started his Harvard University career under Coach Joe Bernal in 1985, Berkoff spent more and more time experimenting with the dolphin kick, learning that he was faster underwater than on top of it. With the new approach fueling him, Berkoff saw his performances quicken, to the point where he set an NCAA record in the 100-yard backstroke in 1987.
In the long-course pool, Berkoff honed his skill to a point in which he could remain underwater for 35 to 40 meters. Although oxygen debt certainly played a role for those racing underwater for lengthy periods, the advantage it provided offset the down-the-stretch struggles that arose. For Berkoff, the strategy led to a pair of world records at the 1988 United States Olympic Trials, where he became the first man in history to break the 55-second barrier in the 100 meter backstroke. After going 54.95 in prelims, Berkoff came back with an effort of 54.91 in the final, and he immediately became the man to beat for gold in Seoul, with the “Berkoff Blastoff” becoming his calling card.
“When I first did it my freshman year, a lot of coaches ridiculed it,” Berkoff said as a collegiate athlete. “They said, ‘You’re going to die the last lap.’ But I’ve expanded it every year. I don’t think it’s for everybody, but it’s going to change the whole idea of backstroke sprinting.”
Seoul Showdown
Once the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul rolled around, extended underwaters were the norm, as footage of the 100 backstroke final shows five of the eight finalists surfacing beyond 25, and in some cases, 35 meters. But make no mistake. The final was undoubtedly a battle between Berkoff, Suzuki and Polyansky.
Following a world-record swim of 54.51 in the preliminaries, Berkoff reaffirmed his status as the favorite in the final. At the midway point, Berkoff was in control, the gold medal within reach off the strength of 35 meters underwater. But Suzuki and Polyansky were within striking distance, also having spent the majority of the first lap submerged.
Daichi Suzuki with his gold medal on the podium at the 1988 Olympics Photo Courtesy: Daichi Suzuki
With each stroke, Suzuki and Polyansky closed the gap between themselves and Berkoff, with Suzuki pulling ahead in the final strokes to prevail in 55.05. The silver went to Berkoff (55.18), just ahead of Polyansky (55.20). Given his prelim performance, Berkoff’s setback was a surprise, the upset nature of sports revealing itself.
When Suzuki touched the wall ahead of Berkoff, thus completing his comeback triumph, he became the first Japanese Olympic champion in the pool since 1972. It was in Munich that Nobutaka Taguchi (100 breaststroke) and Mayumi Aoki (100 butterfly) stood atop the podium at a meet best known for the exploits of Mark Spitz and Shane Gould.
Suzuki has since gone on to hold several prominent roles in the sporting world, from president of the Japanese Swimming Federation to commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency. However, the future Hall of Famer still remembers the intensity of the moment in Seoul, and how he dealt with the pressure of an Olympic final.
“Just before starting the race, I transformed into a warrior,” Suzuki said in an Olympic Channel documentary. “In my mind, all I desired in that moment was to be No. 1. I was in the third lane. As you know, there is a short presentation (before the race), and you greet the public by waving. As I walked, I noticed that my legs were shaking, and I realized how nervous I was. Next to me, there was David Berkoff in the fourth lane. I saw his face, and he looked more nervous than me. It made me think I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous, so maybe I had a chance to win.”
Indeed, that was the outcome.
Suzuki may have captured the gold medal in the biggest backstroke showdown in Seoul, but Berkoff and Polyansky each earned a moment of their own on the top of the podium. While Berkoff led off the United States’ world-record-setting 400 medley relay in the second-fastest time ever (54.56), Polyansky captured the gold medal in the 200 backstroke.
Changing the Rules
Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Archive
Not pleased that the backstroke had become more of an underwater race than one that measured the athletes on their prowess in the discipline, FINA instituted a rule shortly after Seoul that limited backstrokers to 10 meters underwater off the start and turns. The decision, as soon as it was enacted, was a punishment for athletes like Berkoff, who had been revolutionary not just from an athletic standpoint, but from a creative perspective.
“I’m very upset by what FINA did,” said Berkoff of the ruling. “It’s completely ludicrous. It doesn’t really affect me because I decided a year ago that I would retire. But for future swimmers, the kids who started doing this, it’s a shame. I ruffled (FINA’s) feathers. They smacked me on the head. They said, ‘Things are not going to be as easy as you want, David.’ I did something to their game. I thought of it before they did.
“It was frustrating to put four years of your life on the line in Seoul, and after you’re so successful there, to turn around and say you can’t do that anymore is discouraging. That took a lot of trial-and-error and hard work. Their knee-jerk reaction was a slap in the face and an insult. That pushed me over the edge as far as getting out of the sport.”
In 1991, FINA changed the rule to 15 meters, and after three years of retirement, Berkoff returned to the sport and qualified for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. In his second Olympiad, Berkoff didn’t just capture a bronze medal in the 100 back, but proved he was more than an underwater performer and someone who found a loophole to reign among the best in an event. Rather, Berkoff was a phenomenal backstroker, both underwater and on top of it.
A Chapter to Remember
While Jesse Vassallo gently pioneered the extended underwater technique in the late 1970s and early 1980s, David Berkoff took the approach to its greatest heights in the late 1980s. Meanwhile, Daichi Suzuki also recognized the technique as highly beneficial, and used its adoption to become an Olympic champion.
Innovations in the sport will always be remembered. Goggles, starting blocks, lane lines and interval training have all influenced athletes’ abilities to get faster through the years. In the backstroke, it is critical to remember an era, although brief, that witnessed a handful of athletes take an outside-the-box approach toward improvement.
Sydney 25th Anniversary: When ISHOF Honoree Pieter van den Hoogenband Took the 100 Freestyle Into Sub-48 Territory
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
20 September 2025
Twenty-five years since the Olympic Games too place in Sydney, we celebrate the greatness of Pieter van den Hoogenband. The Dutchman produced a Hall of Fame career that featured seven Olympic medals, including three gold, and landed him enshrinement into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2013.
Sometimes, the topics of our World Record Flashback series are easy to select, as there is a predominant performance from an athlete to highlight. At times, the decision-making process is difficult, given the multiple squares of greatness on the Bingo card of success. See Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky as examples.
In the case of Pieter van den Hoogenband, the Dutch standout offered two options for this series. As the Olympic movement ventured into the 2000s, with Sydney serving as host, van den Hoogenband was nothing short of phenomenal during his trip Down Under, as he unassumingly became an Olympic champion.
If we chose the 200-meter freestyle as the focal point of this piece, it would have made sense. After all, over four laps is where van den Hoogenband upset Australian Ian Thorpe, the hometown favorite and poster boy of the Sydney Games. But that triumph has received its due through the years, so it seemed fitting to recognize the occasion when van den Hoogenband cracked the 48-second barrier in the 100 freestyle.
The 100 freestyle has long been considered the Blue-Ribbon event of the sport, dating back to the early days of the 20th century, when Charlie Daniels and Duke Kahanamoku etched their names in the history books. They were followed by the dominance of the legendary Johnny Weissmuller, with greats such as Don Schollander, Michael Wenden, Mark Spitz, Matt Biondi and Alexander Popov eventually claiming Olympic glory over the two-lap discipline.
As experts analyzed the Sydney Games and the podium challengers across the schedule, van den Hoogenband was certainly accorded medal-contender status in the 100 freestyle. As an 18-year-old at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, “Hoogie” announced his presence on the global stage. Behind a pair of fourth-place outings in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, van den Hoogenband just missed the podium, but established the framework for the stellar career that would follow.
In the years between Atlanta and Sydney, VDH became a multi-time European champion, his skill molded by coach Jacco Verhaeren. It was a matter of time before that excellence extended from the continental level to worldwide dominance.
While he wasn’t the overwhelming favorite for gold in the 100 free upon his arrival in Sydney, that label changed when van den Hoogenband set a world record (1:45.35) in the semifinals of the 200 freestyle. He then equaled that global standard to upend Thorpe in the final and became the man to beat for the two-lap event. VDH’s defeat of Thorpe was a shock moment, since the Aussie teen was widely expected to sweep the 200 free and 400 free. Indeed, Thorpe delivered in the longer distance, but the Dutch star had a surprise prepared for the 200 free.
Van den Hoogenband still faced a gauntlet in the 100 freestyle, specifically the tandem of Russia’s Alexander Popov and Australian Michael Klim. Popov was the two-time defending champion, having claimed Olympic crowns in 1992 and 1996. More, he entered the week as the world-record holder at 48.21.
Meanwhile, Klim was riding a wave of momentum and had the full support of the Australian crowd. On the opening night of action, his leadoff leg of 48.18 propelled Australia to gold in the 400 freestyle relay, a title which handed the United States its first Olympic loss in the event. Klim’s time also broke Popov’s world mark and enhanced the plot of the 100 freestyle
One night after toppling Thorpe in the 200 freestyle, van den Hoogenband eased through his preliminary heat of the 100 freestyle in 48.64. That effort was the lone sub-49 marker of the opening round and good for the top seed entering the semifinals, where van den Hoogenband figured to do just enough to assure a center lane for the final. Yet, as was the case in the semifinals of the 200 free, the Flying Dutchman opted to press the pace – at a level never before seen.
Unlike many of his rivals, van den Hoogenband did not boast a hulking physique. A 6-3, 175-pounder, he possessed a wiry frame, with a concave chest that paid dividends in the water. Van den Hoogenband and the Dutch coaching staff often noted that his build resembled the hull of a catamaran and created less drag.
Racing in the second semifinal at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, van den Hoogenband turned in an opening lap of 23.16 and came home in 24.68. Today, sub-25 closing performances are the norm, with Kyle Chalmers and David Popovici having been 24-low. But van den Hoogenband was ahead of his time with his closing speed, and his competition paid the price.
Via his world record of 47.84, van den Hoogenband sliced .34 off what Klim managed a few days earlier in relay duty. Forever, VDH would go down in history as a barrier breaker, joining Jim Montgomery (sub-50 in 1976) and Matt Biondi (sub-49 in 1985) in swimming lore.
In the final, van den Hoogenband could not match his speed from the semifinals, but still comfortably prevailed. His time of 48.30 was nearly a half-second adrift of his newly minted world record, but well ahead of Popov’s mark of 48.69 for the silver medal, and the 48.73 of American Gary Hall Jr. for the bronze. Locked out of the medals was Klim, who could not replicate his relay heroics in the 100 freestyle and finished fourth in 48.74.
Van den Hoogenband was minimalistic in the assessment of his work.
“I won two gold medals and broke two world records,” he said. “At this moment, I am the best.”
For good measure, van den Hoogenband capped his trip to Sydney with a bronze medal in the 50 freestyle. Clocking 22.03, the Dutchman finished just behind the American tandem of Anthony Ervin and Hal Jr., who shared the gold medal in 21.98. For “Hoogie,” that additional piece of hardware was a surprise, as he touched the wall ahead of sprint specialists such as Popov, Bart Kizierowski and Mark Foster.
Four years later, when the Olympic Games returned to their birthplace of Athens, van den Hoogenband repeated as champion of the 100 freestyle and earned silver in the 200 freestyle, with Thorpe exacting revenge from Sydney. More, his world record endured for more than seven years and remains a superb time in the present day.
“At the end of the day (we had one major goal): To break 48 seconds for the 100 freestyle,” Verhaeren said. “We didn’t say we wanted to win, or we want to do this and that. Of course, the likelihood when you do that is winning. But we wanted to be the first athlete to break 48 seconds and we’d go from there.”
The job was done.
Seoul Anniversary: ISHOF Honoree Janet Evans and Her Super Show in the 400 Freestyle; A Back Half to Behold (Video)
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
22 September 2025
On September 22, 1988, Janet Evans delivered a performance that was well ahead of its time. Racing at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Evans claimed victory in the 400-meter freestyle with a finish that was awe-inspiring.
When Janet Evans stepped onto the blocks for the final of the 400 freestyle at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, the American star already had a gold medal in her grasp. A few days earlier, the 17-year-old bested the field in the 400 individual medley, an event that was the weakest of her three entries. As a result, Evans had to feel good heading into freestyle action, which was her strength.
As the world-record holder, Evans was the favorite in the 400 freestyle, but she was expected to be challenged by East Germany’s Heike Friedrich and Anke Mohring. Although they may not have tested positive for doping, it was widely understood that Evans wasn’t just racing against Friedrich and Mohring, but also against the systematic-doping program of East Germany.
Friedrich was riding the momentum of a title the previous night in the 200 freestyle and through the first half of the race, she was with Evans, who made the turn in 2:02.14. Evans turned at the 300-meter mark with a slight advantage, but she blew away Friedrich in the last 100 meters and clocked a world record of 4:03.85, with Friedrich earning the silver medal in 4:05.94. Mohring picked up the bronze in 4:06.64.
Evans produced a split of 1:00.40 for the last two laps and covered the back half of her race in 2:01.71 for an impressive negative split. Her world record endured for more than 17 years and wasn’t wiped out until France’s Laure Manaudou posted a time of 4:03.03 at the 2006 French Championships. Add in the 800 freestyle and the 1500 freestyle, and Evans owned three world records that lasted at least 17 years, a statistic that speaks to her ahead-of-her-era talent.
“I wasn’t worrying about my time,” Evans said. “When I saw 4:03, I was really surprised. I knew I was going to have to bring it home really hard that last 100, but I felt really good. I felt really easy. I didn’t think I was going that fast.”
Evans’ time would have won every men’s 400 freestyle in Olympic competition through the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Seoul Anniversary: When ISHOF Honoree Matt Biondi Surged to Seven Medals at the 1988 Olympics
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
21 September 2025
This week, 37 years ago, Matt Biondi took home seven medals from the Olympic Games in Seoul, an iconic performance that continues to be revered.
He had it all. The physique. The pure talent. The inner drive. Add those traits together and it is no surprise that Matt Biondi, over the span of three Olympiads, cultivated one of the finest careers the sport has seen.
Really, if a Mount Rushmore of American male legends were constructed, the first three names would be slam-dunk selections: Michael Phelps. Mark Spitz. Johnny Weissmuller. Although the final spot is slightly more complicated, it is typically handed to Biondi, with the Cal-Berkeley star getting the nod over Don Schollander, another Hall of Famer.
As Swimming World continues its Takeoff to Tokyo series, which examines some of the epic moments in Olympic history, it was easy to choose what Biondi managed at the 1988 Games in Seoul for inclusion. After all, it’s rare for an athlete to walk away from an Olympic Games with seven medals – and that is exactly what Biondi pulled off.
A SPECTACULAR RISE
Certain stories go down in the sport’s lore as entertaining tales, and Rowdy Gaines can share a doozy when it comes to Biondi. At the 1984 Olympic Trials, the meet that catapulted him to three gold medals at the Los Angeles Games, Gaines didn’t just earn his first Olympic invitation. He also received an education that can be laughed at decades later.
When Gaines scanned the results of the 100 freestyle at Trials, he stopped at the name in the fourth position. It was unfamiliar, and prompted Gaines to utter two words: “Matt Who?” Simply, Gaines had no clue about Biondi’s potential and was caught off guard by the emergence of a man he would shortly team with in Olympic-relay action.
“When I said, ‘Matt who,’ little did I know he would become one of the greatest swimmers in history,” Gaines said. “I always say I came along during a perfect time in history, post-Spitz and pre-Biondi.”
Matt Biondi – Photo Courtesy – ISHOF
Biondi might have been an unknown commodity in 1984, but that under-the-radar freedom would not last for long. Legendary coach Mark Schubert knew greatness when he saw it and immediately pegged Biondi for stardom. That status was attained the next year when Biondi collected seven medals at the 1985 Pan Pacific Championships, that haul highlighted by triumphs in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
A year later, at the 1986 edition of the World Championships, Biondi won another seven medals, including gold in the 100 freestyle. When he produced six more medals at the 1987 Pan Pacific Champs, there was no curtailing the lofty expectations placed upon him at the 1988 Olympics.
“He was born with all the right tools,” said Biondi’s coach, Nort Thornton. “He has an incredible feel for the water. It’s hard to describe. It’s the same feel a pianist has for the keys and an artist’s brush has for the canvas. He is able to sense the water pressure on his hands. He sets his hands at the right pitch, like a propeller on a boat. He is able to pitch his blades at the right angle. A lot of people don’t have that awareness.”
As much as Biondi wanted to go unnoticed in preparation for his work in Seoul, there was no stopping the hype his talent had created. Sixteen years after Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Games in Munich, Biondi was scheduled to race seven events in Korea – four individual and three relays. Of course, the question arose: Could all seven be gold?
In the years following Spitz’s achievement, the sport had changed significantly. There was now more depth around the world and the United States, while still a heavy favorite, would face greater challenges in the relays. Still, the media did not care. Journalists saw the chance to measure Biondi against Spitz, even if Biondi wanted nothing to do with the comparison. He knew he was in a no-win situation.
“The burden of public expectation is tremendous,” Biondi said. “It’s like a ladder. When you start out, you’re at the bottom and work up. There’s satisfaction every time you climb one more rung. You see your accomplishments. The people keep getting smaller and smaller at the bottom. But when you reach the top, there’s nowhere to go, only down. You look down and you have to fight people off. You lose a race and people sound as if you let them down. How could you do this to them?”
THE CHASE IS OVER
The alignment of Biondi’s seven-event schedule at his second Olympiad was front-heavy. Not only was the 200 freestyle, his most challenging event, the opener to his program, the 100 butterfly was his second event, and included a showdown with West Germany’s Michael Gross. When Biondi failed to win either event, some members of the press posed the question: What is wrong? Basically, Biondi proved prophetic when he suggested he might be held to an impossible standard.
GOLDEN PARTNERSHIP: Duncan Armstrong and Laurie Lawrence Photo Courtesy: Hanson Media
For Biondi, the 200 freestyle was the ultimate stretch of his prowess. The distance maximized Biondi’s range and when he earned the bronze medal behind Australia’s Duncan Armstrong and Sweden’s Anders Holmertz, there was a sense of pride in the accomplishment. Biondi knew a medal in the event was no foregone conclusion, and to stand on the podium was a superb result. Yet, NBC Sports anchor Bob Costas noted that Biondi, “settled for bronze.” It was a statement that didn’t sit well.
More, Biondi did everything in his power to win the race. Aware that his speed was his biggest asset, Biondi attacked the early laps and built a lead. It was a gutsy strategy that surely enabled him to medal, but he couldn’t fend off Armstrong or Holmertz, who were better known for their endurance and closing speed.
“It was (a feeling) of more relief than anything else because we had trained four or five years for that moment and the race takes less than two minutes,” Armstrong said, referring to the work he did under the watch of coach Laurie Lawrence. “You go two minutes on one day every four years. That’s the clock. You do an enormous amount of training and then you get there, and we had the perfect race. We had the great strategy and some good competition in the water. We had a world record. All my dreams and hopes in swimming came true in one touch of the wall. It was just wonderful. It was the perfect moment for us. It was the pinnacle of my swimming career.”
In the 100 butterfly, Biondi’s search for his first gold of the Games ended in excruciating fashion. While the American was able to beat Gross, his co-favorite, Biondi was doomed by a poor finish and lost the race to Suriname’s Anthony Nesty by .01. The frustration at the outcome was evident on Biondi’s face, and he didn’t hold back when writing about the race in a diary he kept for Sports Illustrated.
“I fouled up,” he said. “I’d do anything to do it over again, but I can’t. Maybe if I had grown my fingernails a little bit longer or kicked a little harder, I would have won. The wall came up at an odd time, at mid-stroke. I was caught halfway through a stroke and had to decide whether to take another stroke or kick in. I decided to kick to the wall.”
FINISHING STRONG
The bronze-silver start by Biondi not only ended the comparisons to Spitz but alleviated the pressure that followed him to Seoul and lit a fire for his final five events. Not long after he endured his narrow loss to Nesty in the 100 butterfly, Biondi climbed the blocks for the United States in the 800 freestyle relay and carried his country to a come-from-behind victory over East Germany in world-record time. Covering his anchor leg in 1:46.44, Biondi delivered the fastest split in history and generated momentum for his final four events.
Matt Biondi in the shadows too long – Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
From that point forward, the Californian couldn’t be stopped. Biondi followed with gold medals in the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay over the next two nights, and backed up those performances with victories in the 50 freestyle and 400 medley relay. When he left Seoul, Biondi had five gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Years later, he also had an appreciation for the difficulty of his program.
“To think of Seoul, I was able to distinguish myself not just in America, but as a great Olympian. That was my high-water mark,” Biondi said. “That was a peak year. It’s hard to think about it. Like other people, I’m a guy who will burn a bagel in the toaster, but I got to take that trail. It’s kind of amazing.”
Biondi’s sweep of the sprint-freestyle events was a mixture of expectation and satisfaction. While Biondi delivered as the favorite to win the 100 freestyle, his ascent to the top of the podium in the 50 free required him to traverse a more-difficult path.
Squaring off with countryman Tom Jager, Biondi went into Seoul as an underdog in that event. Jager won the world title in the 50 free ahead of Biondi in 1986 and followed a year later by beating him again at Pan Pacs. But on the biggest stage, it was Biondi who found a way to prevail. How much did the victory mean? There is a well-known photo in the sport of Biondi thrusting his arm into the air in celebration, and it is an image that Biondi has long adored.
ONE MORE LAP
With Seoul in the rearview mirror, Biondi initially thought his career was over. Yet, as is the case with many elite athletes, the sport pulled him back into the water. Another solo world title was added to his resume at the 1991 World Championships, and he left his final Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona with two more gold medals in relay action and a silver medal in the 50 freestyle.
For his career, Biondi piled up 11 Olympic medals and complemented that excellence with the admiration of his teammates and rivals. There is no doubt, though, that the 1988 Games stand as his iconic moment.
“I always dream in the future,” he once said. “I think about the Olympics a lot, mostly when I’m walking between classes or home from swim practice. I run through a race in my mind, as if it’s really happening. In that respect, I’m a dreamer. I’m like a little kid who thinks about being an astronaut and going to the moon.”
He was a shooting star in Seoul.
Seoul Anniversary: The Night Duncan Armstrong Became the Dragon Slayer and Laurie Lawrence Embodied a Caged Animal
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
19 September 2025
On Sept. 19, 1988: Ranked 46th in the world in the 200 freestyle entering the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Australia’s Duncan Armstrong was an afterthought in medal discussions. When the championship final was over, however, Armstrong was the gold medalist and his stunning triumph set off one of the great coaching celebrations the sport has seen.
Wherever Duncan Armstrong looked, he had reason to be in awe. From what he heard, he had reason to be in awe, too. It was the championship final of the 200 freestyle at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea and Armstrong was supposed to be an also-ran in a clash of titans.\
Next to Armstrong was the United States’ Matt Biondi, the world’s most dominant swimmer of the time and – prior to arriving in Seoul – tabbed as a threat to equal the seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Games in Munich. As the meet announcer introduced Biondi, set to compete in Lane Five, it seemed like a dissertation was being read. Accolade followed accolade. If spectators somehow didn’t know Biondi before his introduction, they were well-versed on his accomplishments afterward.
Also behind a starting block was West Germany’s Michael Gross, nicknamed “The Albatross” for his seven-foot wingspan. Like Biondi, Gross was wildly decorated, an Olympic champion from four years earlier and a world titlist on multiple occasions. He headed into the final of the 200 freestyle as the world-record holder, a mark he set en route to the gold medal at the 1984 Games.
In another lane was Poland’s Artur Wojdat. Although not as esteemed as Biondi and Gross, Wojdat was quite accomplished. He was the world-record holder in the 400 freestyle and was viewed as a future star in the sport, a man who was just tapping into his potential.
Then there was Armstrong, a Commonwealth Games champion for Australia two years earlier, but hardly of the same status as his fellow competitors. He ranked just 46th in the world in the 200 freestyle at the time of the Olympic Games and when it was time for Armstrong’s introduction in Seoul, it was basically over as soon as it started. Little was said, prompting Armstrong to think, “Oh, come on!” More, Armstrong didn’t exactly possess an imposing physique. While Gross was a towering 6-foot-7 and armed (literally) with a propeller-like wingspan, Biondi looked like a sculptor’s dream creation, himself 6-foot-7 and rippling with muscles. Armstrong? He was built nothing like an Adonis. Rather, he was an unimposing 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds.
Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine
If Armstrong was not a contender in many minds, Laurie Lawrence was unaware that his student was an underdog. One of the finest coaches in Australian history, Lawrence saw great potential in Armstrong. Physically, he drove Armstrong into the ground in training, providing a new definition of what was painful. Equally important, Lawrence influenced Armstrong on a mental level, convincing his charge that excellence was attainable. It was that mentality which allowed Armstrong to believe – if others did not – that guys like Biondi and Gross were beatable.
“He’s a wonderful and enthusiastic person,” Armstrong said of Lawrence. “He just sells it. He sells passion. He’s a wonderful man. In swimming, where you have to do hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of laps, passion and enthusiasm are very important. He really understood the Olympic equation that you only get one shot. The door of opportunity only opens once every four years. He gave you the tools of the trade to step on deck so the Olympic pressure would not crush you. You look down your lane and know you’ve done everything you possibly can and you’re prepared for this race. Someone has got to win it. Why not me? You go out against great opposition and perform your best and not let the pressure cooker crush you.”
The pressure cooker is what Biondi was under. In the 16 years since Spitz packaged the finest Olympic performance in history – seven gold medals and seven world records – the sport was waiting for someone to challenge that epic run. Biondi was that man. He was slated to race seven events – four individual and three relays – and the potential for a gold medal in each event certainly existed.
Of all the events, however, the 200 freestyle was going to be the toughest for Biondi, who was more of a sprinter extending his talent as far as it would go. In the case of the 200 freestyle, that was four grueling laps against athletes who were primarily middle-distance performers. While Biondi knew the situation and fans in tune with the sport understood the task at hand, the casual follower saw the 200 freestyle as nothing more than a fragment of a seven-piece puzzle.
“I’d like to say something,” Biondi wrote for Sports Illustrated. “I’m doing this diary because I want to voice the other side of the Olympics. Everyone will be counting the medals and the times and the world records, and making this big judgment: Is Matt a success or a failure? It seems there’s so much emphasis put on that stuff and so little on how a person grows as he works his way toward the Olympics. To me, it’s the path getting there that counts, not the cheese at the end of the maze. Having said that, I have to admit that I’ve got a case of prerace jitters right now. I want to win. After all, I’ve trained my whole career for this.”
Armstrong, too, wanted nothing more than to win, and he might have been in a more advantageous position to get the job done. While Biondi and Gross were under enormous pressure, Armstrong was in a nothing-to-lose position. It was a scenario which paid tremendous dividends.
As the 200 freestyle started, Armstrong immediately put himself in contention. While Biondi had the lead at the 50-meter mark and Sweden’s Anders Holmertz was in front at the midway point, Armstrong was lurking – and his coach knew it. A nervous wreck in the stands, Lawrence paced and fidgeted throughout the race. With a rolled-up program in his hands, Lawrence repeatedly pounded his hand with the paperwork, or waved it in the air. Armstrong was where Lawrence wanted him to be.
During the third lap, Armstrong remained near the front of the pack, not losing touch with the leaders. As the athletes hit the 150-meter mark, Biondi had regained the lead and was one lap from collecting what would be the most difficult gold medal. Armstrong, though, produced a sterling final turn, one he called a “cracker,” and he was suddenly even with Biondi. A few strokes later, Armstrong was ahead. As the swimmers charged through the final 15 meters, Armstrong was clearly in front and ended up securing the gold medal with a world record time of 1:47.25. Holmertz managed to clip Biondi for the silver medal, with Biondi fending off Wojdat and Gross for the bronze medal.
“I finished third in a great 200 (freestyle) behind Holmertz and Duncan Armstrong of Australia, who broke Gross’’ world record with a 1:47.25,” Biondi wrote in his Sports Illustrated diary. “I was happy. I swam the way I wanted to and beat the guys I thought I needed to, Gross and Wojdat. Duncan just had a hell of a swim. I had the lead and he stayed right on my shoulder, right by the lane line. I think he should buy me a beer or something because he probably got a pretty good draft from me.
“The press always throws stuff at you. Like tonight I heard Bob Costas say on TV, ‘Matt Biondi isn’t going to win his seven gold medals. Today he had to settle for bronze.’ But I feel good about the bronze. My most difficult event is over, and I still have a chance to walk away with seven medals. I think that would be a hell of a performance.”
A hell of a performance is the only way to describe what Armstrong pulled off. He celebrated the greatest triumph of his career with a few fist pumps and extended his arms over his head. Australian fans in the stands reveled in the moment. They had just witnessed an improbable triumph, a victory which required Armstrong to produce a perfect race – physically and tactically.
As excited as Armstrong was with his career-defining moment, his celebration did not compare to the jubilation expressed by Lawrence. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Lawrence had mentored teenager Jon Sieben to the gold medal in the 200 butterfly, a victory which happened to come at the hands of Gross. Sieben charged down the last lap of that race and set a world record to grab the gold medal. Four years later, it was Armstrong who stormed down the final lap, defeated Gross, among others, and set a world record. Both men raced out of Lane Six in the championship final, a fact not lost on Lawrence, who repeatedly screamed, “Lucky Lane Six!”
The longtime coach acted more like a caged animal than human as he enjoyed Armstrong’s moment briefly with spectators before losing control. He walked up and down the steps of the stands, seemingly unsure what to do. He yelled. He shook a metal barrier along a walkway in the stands, prompting South Korean police to make their way to Lawrence, who assured them he was all right. As Armstrong made his way to the podium for the medals ceremony, Lawrence called down to his pupil a number of times, “Hey, Dunc. I know you.” That repeated calling got the attention of Biondi, who leaned toward Armstrong during the medal ceremony and asked for an explanation. Armstrong wryly informed Biondi, who ultimately totaled five gold medals, a silver and a bronze, that the crazy man was his coach. Simply, Lawrence could not contain his joy.
Still, nothing matched the first interview Lawrence gave immediately after Armstrong’s win. Approached by Australian television journalist Stephen Quartermain, Lawrence was asked one of the most common questions following an historic moment, the old “how do you feel” query.
“Mate, we just beat three world-record holders,” an elated Lawrence yelled at Quartermain. “How do you think I feel? What do you think we come for, mate? Silver? Stuff the silver. We come for the gold.”
During his answer, and without any malicious intent, Lawrence slapped Quartermain on the side of the face a few times. It was supposed to be a love tap, one of those caught-in-the-moment situations. But Lawrence was so excited and on such an adrenaline rush that his slaps were hard enough to break Quartermain’s jaw.
Armstrong’s victory and Lawrence’s celebratory antics are highlighted on Bud Greenspan’s documentary, “Favorite Stories of Olympic Glory.” In the documentary by Greenspan, considered one of the foremost Olympic experts in history, Armstrong and Lawrence both cherish and laugh about their moment of glory. Quartermain, too, recalls the impromptu interview which resulted in his facial trauma. It is a sensational package which sums up the meaning of the Olympic spirit, hard work and the meaningful partnership between athlete and coach.
Later in the week, Armstrong added a silver medal in the 400 freestyle, an achievement which only added to his Olympic legacy. In the years since, he has been a motivational speaker, telling others about the importance of focus, belief and dedication.
“It was (a feeling) of more relief than anything else because we had trained four or five years for that moment and the race takes less than two minutes,” Armstrong said. “You go two minutes on one day every four years. That’s the clock. You do an enormous amount of training and then you get there and we had the perfect race. We had the great strategy and some good competition in the water. We had a world record. All my dreams and hopes in swimming came true in one touch of the wall. It was just wonderful. It was the perfect moment for us. It was the pinnacle of my swimming career.”
When Inky Made Her Mark: The 25th Anniversary of ISHOF Honoree Inge de Bruijn and Her Sydney Star Turn
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
17 September 2025
It has been 25 years since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The Games Down Under also served as a redemptive locale for the Netherlands’ Inge de Bruijn, who used the stage to define herself as one of the sport’s legends.
Usually, an invitation to the Olympic Games would generate greater passion for the sport and a more-intense focus on the work that awaits. But not all athletes are wired the same, and as the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta approached, something was missing for Inge de Bruijn. Her training sessions lacked dedication. Sometimes, she would arrive late to practice. On occasion, she didn’t show up at all.
In the early 1990s, de Bruijn was a promising talent for the Netherlands. At the 1991 European Championships, de Bruijn earned a silver medal (100 butterfly) and bronze medal (50 freestyle) in Athens, efforts that complemented a relay bronze medal from the World Championships. The next year, she was eighth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 100 butterfly at the Olympics in Barcelona.
Although de Bruijn did not reach the podium in her Olympic debut, she did enough to suggest that big days were ahead in the sprint and fly. And with another European medal in the 50 free in 1993, the Dutchwoman seemed on pace. But on the road to the Centennial Olympics, de Bruijn lost the fire that is necessary to compete at the highest level.
It might have been the best thing for her career.
A BENEFICIAL BREAK
De Bruijn managed to qualify for the Atlanta Games, but her waning desire led coach Jacco Verhaeren to dismiss her from the National Team roster. It wasn’t an easy decision for Verhaeren to make, as de Bruijn was also his girlfriend. But it was the right call, and one that – eventually – provided a major boost to de Bruijn’s career.
“My break in 1996 was good for me,” de Bruijn said. “I didn’t swim for a year. There was no point going to the Olympics because I wouldn’t have enjoyed myself. I wasn’t having fun. After that, I put in the hard work, and I used my talent totally. I just got faster and faster.”
In 1997, de Bruijn shifted her training base to the United States, where she started to work with Paul Bergen. In Bergen, de Bruijn found a mentor who had elite credentials, specifically as the former coach to Tracy Caulkins, and was able to bring out the best in the Dutch lady. In short time, the fire that once burned returned.
By the 1998 World Championships, de Bruijn was a finalist in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and she earned three medals at the 1999 European Championships – gold in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and silver in the 100 freestyle. A year shy of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, de Bruijn had established herself as a major force.
“What has really made a big difference to my fitness is the dryland training (Bergen) has introduced into my program,” de Bruijn said. “I do a lot of running, biking, rope climbing, jump ropes, medicine balls and stretching. Those kinds of things have really made me feel in good shape.”
TOP OF THE WORLD
The 2000 campaign can only be described as sensational for de Bruijn, whose march to Sydney included world records in all three of her prime events. Overall, de Bruijn broke six global standards en route to her second Olympiad, efforts that enabled her to compete with booming confidence. More were produced in Sydney.
Inge De Bruin at Sydney 2000
During her week in Australia, de Bruijn put together one of the most impressive performances by a female in Olympic history. She swept all three of her individual events and set a world record in each discipline. Her world records in the freestyle events arrived in the semifinals, with her global mark in the 100 butterfly punctuating her gold-medal effort. She added a silver medal as a member of the Netherlands’ 400 freestyle relay.
De Bruijn’s triple-gold performance was staggering on the whole, but a closer look at each of her triumphs revealed an even more exceptional effort. None of the Dutchwoman’s races were close, as she prevailed by .19 in the 50 free and .50 in the 100 free. In the 100 butterfly, de Bruijn blasted the competition, her world-record time of 56.61 more than a second clear of silver medalist Martina Moravcova of Slovenia. That standard endured for nearly nine years.
In becoming one of the stars of Sydney, De Bruijn had to defeat some of the top names in the sport. In the sprint-freestyle events, Sweden’s Therese Alshammar was the silver medalist in both distances, with American Dara Torres winning bronze in the 50 freestyle and sharing bronze with countrywoman Jenny Thompson in the 100 freestyle.
ACCUSATIONS ABOUND
As much as the week was a fairytale, it also included a dark chapter, as de Bruijn’s rise from good to great was suggested to be the result of performance-enhancing drug use. Although he did not identify de Bruijn by name, American coach Richard Quick clearly questioned whether the Dutch star was clean.
The finger-pointing and second-guessing have become the norm in the sport, especially when an athlete emerges from the shadows, or puts together a career surge. In making his assertions, Quick spoke with assurance.
“I absolutely do not think that this is a drug-free Olympic Games,” Quick said. “The (International Olympic Committee) should make it the No. 1 priority to make sure the competition is fair. I think it’s very sad. It’s a sad state of affairs when great, great performances in this sport have clouds over them.”
Quick’s accusations did not sit well with the Dutch contingent, especially Verhaeren, who again was coaching de Bruijn in a split-time setup with Bergen. Verhaeren declared the suspicions to be fueled by jealousy, and vehemently denied any of his athletes took part in illicit practices.
In addition to mentoring de Bruijn, Verhaeren guided Pieter van den Hoogenband to a trio of medals in freestyle events. Van den Hoogenband captured double gold in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, and added a bronze medal in the 50 freestyle. His victory in the 200 free was one of the great performances of the competition, as the Dutchman upended Thorpe.
In the media, several comparisons were made between de Bruijn and Ireland’s Michelle Smith, who won three gold medals at the 1996 Olympics. In addition to their gold-medal count, both women enjoyed significant improvement at later points in their careers.
To her credit, de Bruijn took the accusations in stride. Throughout the year, as she began toppling world records, she heard whispers concerning her times. But instead of becoming enraged by the allegations, de Bruijn simply defended her training.
“I can understand the questions,” she said. “My progress is significant, but I’m not the only one. People have to accept it. People should know that I train like an animal. I had a really rough time with the accusations. I’m a very emotional person and it got to me, but I’ve decided not to read any more newspapers because I know all I was doing was working very hard. If you set world records, they want to chop your head off. They want to take it away from you. Right now, I’m above all those accusations.”
ADDITIONAL ACCOLADES
Sydney hardly marked the end of de Bruijn’s excellence. At the 2001 World Championships, she tripled again, this time winning the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, along with the 50 butterfly. Two years later, she was dominant again at the World Champs, where she repeated in the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly. Just as the 1999 European Championships set the stage for the 2000 Olympics, the 2003 World Champs positioned de Bruijn for her Olympic hurrah at the 2004 Games in Athens.
In Athens, de Bruijn collected a silver medal in the 100 freestyle and added bronze medals in the 100 butterfly and as a member of the Dutch 400 freestyle relay. But her best performance was saved for last, as she capped the last day of the meet with defense of her title in the 50 freestyle. Once again, de Bruijn was untouchable in the one-lap sprint, as her winning time of 24.58 was comfortably quicker than the 24.89 of silver medalist Malia Metella of France.
Almost immediately, de Bruijn let out a sigh of relief. Upon finding a rekindled desire for the water and the necessary training to reach the pinnacle of her sport, de Bruijn was rewarded with results to her liking. Not surprising, her farewell was deeply satisfying.
“This is an amazing feeling,” she said of her repeat. “It is my eighth (Olympic) medal and on the last day of the program, what a climax. I can’t find words to express it. The smile on my face will stay there for a couple more weeks. There has been so much pressure on me given the other results. Finally, I got the gold. I’m just going to enjoy the medal ceremony.”
AT PEACE
Initially, de Bruijn thought there was a chance she would compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but as a 31-year-old, she was already the oldest individual Olympic swimming champion, a record that has since been surpassed. Ultimately, she didn’t see herself racing in the Olympics at 35 and decided to hang up her cap and goggles.
In 2009, de Bruijn was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, her election a slam-dunk choice. Undoubtedly, she ranks as one of the greatest sprinters of all-time.
“My career is finished, and I reached the top,” de Bruijn said in assessing her exploits. “I am 33 years old now and a granny in swimming, while my body isn’t recovering so well like it did in the past. I will miss the excitement of hearing the Dutch national anthem on the podium but achieving that is not something that comes easy. I’ve worked hard for my achievements.”
Sydney 25th Anniversary: ISHOF Honoree and IOC President Kirsty Coventry Remembers 2000 as a Spark
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
18 September 2025
Before ascending to her current role as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry was an awestruck teenager at her first Olympic Games. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, which are celebrating their 25th anniversary, a 16-year-old Coventry advanced to the semifinals of the 100-meter backstroke and finished 18th in the 200 individual medley.
While Coventry was crowned an Olympic champion later in her career, that first experience served as a critical boost toward future success. Coventry, the first female President of the IOC, commented on her Olympic debut in a statement that was released earlier in the week.
“Sydney was more than just my first Olympic Games. It was the spark,” Coventry said. “I celebrated my 17th birthday on race day, met Muhammad Ali in the Olympic Village, and fell in love with lamingtons (an Australian cake). But more than anything, I felt the power of the Olympic spirit.”
Coventry followed her Olympic debut by competing at the next four editions of the Games – 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. She captured back-to-back gold medals in the 200 backstroke at the 2004 and 2008 Games and also captured four silver medals and a bronze medal between Athens and Beijing. But that first appearance is remembered by Coventry as a key launching point.
“For me, Sydney laid the foundation for everything that followed – Athens, Beijing, London, Rio,” Coventry said. “And now, for me as IOC President, it helps guide how I think about Brisbane 2032. I know what’s possible when a country embraces the Olympic Games with heart and purpose. I know the impact they can have on a young athlete, on a community, on a generation. Sydney was the beginning. Brisbane will be a new chapter. And somewhere out there, a young girl is watching, dreaming and preparing to write her own story.”
A Special Happy 90th Birthday to Eldon Godfrey!!
Eldon Godfrey (CAN)
Honor Contributor (2012)
FOR THE RECORD: FINA HONORARY LIFE MEMBER: 2009 – present; FINA BUREAU MEMBER: 1996 – 2009; UNION AMERICANA DE NATACION (UANA): President (2007-2011), Vice President (1995-1999), Secretary Treasurer (2003-2007), FINA TECHNICAL DIVING COMMITTEE: 1980-1996: Member (1980-1984), Honorary Secretary (1984-1988), Vice Chairman (1988-1996); PRESIDENT CANADIAN AMATEUR DIVING ASSOCIATION: President (1976-1980); AQUATIC FEDERATION OF CANADA: President (1980-1982), Member (1980-1996); 1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS CHEF DE MISSION FOR CANADA; DIVING JUDGE AND REFEREE AT OLYMPIC, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS; INTERNATIONAL CLINICIAN.
When this former high school football coach’s daughter, Allison, began competitive diving in 1973, Eldon Godfrey switched allegiance to a whole new sport, and rose to the highest levels of volunteerism. With his organizational skills and insight, within three short years, he was elected president of the Canadian Amateur Diving Association and two years later the Aquatic Federation of Canada on whose committee he remained for 16 years, serving as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Third FINA World Championships in Berlin.
Extending from national to international participation, Eldon served in every office of the Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas, now known as Union Americana de Natacion. In 2011, he was named Honorary Life President and presented with the R. Max Ritter Award for contributing to the advancement, understanding and good will among nations.
In 1980, he was appointed to the FINA Technical Diving Committee, and served as a Member, and as the Honorary Secretary and Vice Chairman for 16 years. For 13 years, he was elected a member of the FINA Bureau, serving as liaison to the Technical Diving Committee responsible for decision making policies as they affect FINA. He is now a FINA Honorary Life Member.
Eldon has been a regional and international judge and referee at four Olympic Games, four World Championships, eight World Cups, three Pan American Games and other international events. He has received the FINA Gold Pin, Canadian Sports Award, Alberta Achievement Award and the Calgary Booster Club Award. He has never failed to recognize that it all started in Calgary, at the grass roots level, and he continues to judge diving at the local level.
Together with his wife Carlie Jean, they have received Canada’s Irene McDonald Award for Volunteerism to Diving, for over 40 years of service.