ISHOF Honoree and Board Member Dara Torres Named Head Coach at Boston College
18 June 2024
Five-Time Olympian and four-time Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres has been named the head swimming and diving coach at Boston College.
In the midst of Olympic Trials taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Torres made the announcement on her personal social media.
“Hello from Olympic Trials! Boston College just announced that I’m joining the program as head swimming & diving coach. It’s been a busy day here. But I want to take a minute for something important. There’s a saying I love: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’ To my coaches, teammates, competitors, sponsors, teachers, advisors, business partners, professional colleagues, family and friends: Thank you. I’m here because you were there. I can’t wait to share my plan with you. Stay tuned-I’ll be in touch!! Thank you!!!”
In a statement from Boston College Torres further elaborated on what it means to be named the Head Coach of the Eagles.
“This is a full-circle moment for me,” Torres said. “I’ve learned from great coaches at every point in my career. This opportunity to share what I’ve learned, in and out of the pool, and pass along technique, confidence, and support as part of the Boston College Athletics Department is a dream. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.”
Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James added: “We are thrilled to welcome Dara Torres as our new head swimming & diving coach.
“From the moment we met with Dara, it was evident that she was exactly the fit we were looking for to begin a fresh, new chapter of Boston College swimming & diving. Her record as a world-class competitor is historic and her ability to clearly articulate her vision as a coach and leader will allow our student-athletes to develop and excel in and out of the pool.”
Torres, a five-time Olympian, competed at the 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008 Olympic Games and became the first American woman to qualify for five Olympiads. Additionally in 2008 Torres became the oldest U.S. women to qualify for an Olympic Swimming Team.
Collegiately Torres swam at the University of Florida for Head Coach Randy Reese. During her time with the Gators Torres was a 28-time All-American and the 1988 SEC Female Athlete of the Year.
Torres is taking over an Eagle program that parted ways with former Head Coach Joe Brinkman in January following the suspension of the program as a whole due to hazing allegations.
USA’s Dana VOLLMER to be inducted as Honor Swimmer into ISHOF Class of 2024
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.
Come join Vollmer and the rest of this year’s 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) 2023
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)
ISHOF 59th Annual Honoree Induction weekend
~ 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
~ TICKET INFORMATION ~
Friday, October 4, 2024: Includes:
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) Induction Ceremony
The ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal and
The ISHOF Specialty Awards
Click here to purchase tickets: MISHOF/AWARDS
Saturday, October 5, 2024: Includes
The 59th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Induction Ceremony
The Al Schoenfield Media Award and
The 2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion Award
Click here to purchase tickets: INDUCTION
MISHOF ~ Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame October Induction Information and Updates
MISHOF 2019 Induction Ceremony, St. Louis, MO, USAS convention (photo above)
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) was proud to announce its prestigious Masters Class of 2023 back in March. 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. Today, we are proud to announce that five will be with us for the event, which will be held Friday, October 4, at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in conjunction with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal and the ISHOF Specialty Awards.
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
The following Masters Honorees will be in attendance in Fort Lauderdale:
SWIMMERS:
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.
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’s daughter, is coming to represent her)
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. In 2012, Nadine was elected President of United States Masters Swimming, where she served one term. During her 16 years as a leader on the USMS Board, Day 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.
EVENT INFORMATION
TICKETS
Friday, October 4, 2024
(Masters MISHOF Honoree Induction, ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal and ISHOF Specialty Awards)
Click here for Tickets – MISHOF/AWARDS
Saturday, October 5, 2024
ISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremonies, Al Schoenfield Media Award, ISHOF Gold Medallion Award
Click here for Tickets – INDUCTION
~ 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
If you have questions, call Meg-Keller-Marvin at 570 594-4367 or e-mail: meg@ishof.org or visit www.ishof.org
Honorees who are not able to attend:
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.
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.
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
U.S. Olympic Trials: Jack Alexy Pops U.S. Open Record 47.08 in 100 Free; Caeleb Dressel 4th
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
by MATTHEW DE GEORGE – SENIOR WRITER
18 June 2024, 09:12am
U.S. Olympic Trials: Jack Alexy Pops U.S. Open Record 47.08 in 100 Free
Jack Alexy entered the men’s 100 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials as the on-paper favorite. He did nothing to dissuade people of that notion.
Alexy won the final heat of nine with an authoritative swim of 47.08 seconds. It’s the second fastest time in the world this year. It downs the U.S. Open record held jointly by Ryan Held from Nationals in 2019 and Caeleb Dressel from Olympic Trials in 2021. The latter was the meet record.
Alexy was out in 22.44, the fastest in the field and one of only five sub-23 splits. He came back in 24.64, again the fastest in the field and one of only five sub-25 splits.
Second was Chris Guiliano, who Monday night booked a spot for himself in the 200 free. The Notre Dame swimmer went 47.65. Joining him under 48 seconds was Dressel in 47.82 and Hunter Armstrong in 47.93.
Held won the first of three circle-seeded heats to finish sixth in 48.15, .01 behind Destin Lasco. Patrick Sammon is seventh, with Matt King eighth.
Among the 200 swimmers from the night before, Kieran Smith made semifinals in ninth. Brooks Curry tied for 11th, with Worlds relay qualifier Henry McFadden, and Drew Kibler snuck into the 16th and final spot. Luke Hobson was not so lucky, finishing 20th. Carson Foster scratched the event, as he did the 200 fly.
Kibler denied two swimmers from non-circle-seeded heats, with Matthew Jensen (heat six) 17th and Quintin McCarty (heat 2) in 18th.
Alexy represented the U.S. at the 2023 World Championships, where he won a silver medal. Guiliano didn’t make it out of prelims in Fukuoka. A year earlier, Curry finished fifth in Budapest, an event marked by Dressel’s early withdrawal.
Held, Alexy, Guliano and King swam the relay in Fukuoka, with Lasco and Justin Ress in prelims. Ress was perhaps the biggest name to miss out, finishing 24th in 49.19.
Passages: Brent Rutemiller, Former Swimming World Publisher, ISHOF CEO Dies After Multiple Cancer Battles
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
17 June 2024, 07:53am
Former Swimming World Magazine Publisher and International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) CEO Brent Rutemiller has died after multiple bouts with cancer.
He died early June 17, 2024, surrounded by his family. His daughter Shoshanna posted in the Rutemiller’s Army Facebook page this morning.
“Hi all, Brent passed away peacefully last night with his loving wife by his side. He contracted a lung infection over the weekend and deteriorated quickly. We are so thankful he was not in pain and was able to visit with his children and grandchildren before passing. He was lucid and himself to the very end. He will be missed greatly.”
Rutemiller, the recipient of the ISHOF Lifetime Achievement Award, had battled several forms of cancer into remission.
It started with a 2021 diagnoses of a rare bone marrow cancer called plasma cell leukemia. He battled that into remission, but cancer returned in 2022 and he underwent a bone marrow transplant and stem cell boosts.
He served Swimming World Magazine in multiple roles for more than 30 years and has won several major awards over the years after a lifetime in and around the water.
Rutemiller swam at Eastern Kentucky University but his involvement in the sport really hit a new level as a coach. He was a Level 5 certified coach by the American Swimming Coaches Association and coached teams in Indiana and Kentucky. He then was a coached with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, the Phoenix Swim Club and Scottsdale Aquatic Club, leading several swimmers to state championships and All-American honors.
Rutemiller also made huge contributions to the Special Olympics and coached several athletes at the games over the years.
He created Aquazoids, an animated educational series that has been printed in more than 150 countries, including Swimming World, where he first joined the team.
Brent Rutemiller joined Swimming World full time in 1985 as head of advertising and continued to grow in leadership until he was the magazine’s publisher.
Since taking the helm at Swimming World, he grew the product to a daily online source of news in addition to the monthly print magazine. He started The Morning Swim Show, an online TV series in a podcast format well ahead of its time.
USA Swimming once recognized Rutemiller as one of the 30 most-influential figures in the sport and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association presented Brent Rutemiller with its Collegiate Award in 2023.
Even throughout his battles with cancer, he was in the water. He swam for himself, and for others, helping raise money for cancer research with Swim Across America, along with his supporters, dubbed “Rutemiller’s Army.
“I want to thank everyone for all of their support over the years. Leading the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Swimming World was a privilege as well as a responsibility that I took very,” Brent Rutemiller wrote when he retired. “I believe that to truly win in life, you must first help someone else win. That is what philanthropy and running a non-profit corporation is all about. I think my inner drive to be ethical and credible has rung true through the years.”
Indeed it has, and it has guided Swimming World, the ISHOF and the entire sport of swimming into its rise that continues to ascend.
Happy Birthday Michael Gross!!
Michael Gross (FRG)
Honor Swimmer (1995)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1980 silver (4x100m medley relay); 1984 gold (200m freestyle, 100m butterfly), silver (200m butterfly); 1988 gold (200m butterfly), bronze (4x200m freestyle relay); WORLD RECORDS: 12 (4-200m freestyle, 1-400m freestyle, 1-100m butterfly, 4-200m butterfly, 2-4x200m freestyle relay); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1982 gold (200m freestyle, 200m butterfly), silver (100m butterfly), bronze (4x200m freestyle relay); 1986 gold (200m freestyle, 200m butterfly), silver (4x100m medley relay, 4x200m freestyle relay); 1991 gold (4x200m freestyle relay), silver (100m, 200m butterfly), bronze (4x100m medley relay); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1981 gold (200m butterfly); 1983 gold (200m freestyle, 100m, 200m butterfly, 4x200m freestyle relay), silver (4x100m medley relay); 1985 gold (200m freestyle, 100m, 200m butterfly, 4x100m medley relay, 4x200m freestyle relay); 1987 gold (200m butterfly, 4x200m freestyle relay), silver (100m butterfly), bronze (200m freestyle); EUROPEAN RECORDS: 24.
What does this West German superstar’s Porsche and swimming have in common? They are both very, very fast.
At 19, Michael Gross set his first world record at the German nationals in 1983. The next three years Michael broke his own record in the 200meter freestyle four times and set world marks in the 200m butterfly (four times) and 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle. At one time, Michael actually held four world records in four different events.
This 6-foot-6 record breaker has dominated the surface of the water for a decade as one of the greatest West German swimmers in history. His stature is so large that his wing span reaches almost lane-to-lane. For this, he has been coined, the “Albatross.” Michael says he likes his nickname, “because there are much more stupid nicknames in the world.”
Throughout his swimming career, Michael won gold medals at the European Championships in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987; the World Championship Games in 1982, 1986 and 1991; and was a triple gold medalist and a silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics. In the 1988 Olympics he won the gold again in the 200m freestyle and two silver medals in both butterfly events.
Michael’s last meet was at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, but he has no intention of leaving the world of sports. He is looking forward to enjoying sports such as skiing and marathon running.
Aside from his swimming, Michael is a philosopher and holds a doctorate in this thought provoking science. To him, this achievement is as important as being an Olympic champion. Gross believes, “The worst thing in life is to have no wishes, no goals, because then you have nothing to reach for, nothing to live for.” Needless to say, Michael has had much to live for.
Happy Birthday Steve Clark!!
Steve Clark (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1966)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1960 (participant); 1964 gold (4x100m, 4x200m freestyle relay; 4x100m medley relay); WORLD RECORDS: 50yd, 100yd, 100m, 200yd, 200m freestyle.
Steve Clark swam the 1960 Olympics out of Los Altos High School and the 1964 Olympics out of Yale and Santa Clara. He won five NCAA individual championships at Yale and six AAU titles for Santa Clara Swim Club. He won 3 gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, setting a world record of 52.9 for the 100 meter freestyle.
Clark is the first man in the world to have swum faster than 21 seconds for 50 yards, 46 seconds for 100 yards, 53 seconds for 100 meters, 1:50 for 200 yards and 2 minutes for 200 meters.
Clark’s 9 world records would have been at least 29 in an earlier time when FINA was accepting short course times for 50, 100, 200 and 220 yard, 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle. Steve Clark was Santa Clara’s first great male swimmer at the time Hall of Famer Chris Von Saltza was Santa Clara’s premier woman swimmer. Whereas Chris’ father characterized Chris by saying, “The longer the distance, the better the Von Saltza”, he might have added, “and the shorter the distance, the better the Clark.” Steve Clark was unquestionably the World’s fastest freestyle sprint swimmer for five years retiring to Harvard Law School with his records unchallenged.
In speculating on what might have been, swim buffs will always wonder on the fate that might have kept Steve from being the first man to win four gold medals in an Olympiad. Steve had tendonitis in his shoulder during the USA’s sudden-death Olympic Trials. His fourth place made the team, but only as a relay swimmer. By Tokyo, the tendonitis was gone, but U.S. rules limited Steve to 3 relays and 3 gold medals. He started off the 400 freestyle relay in the fastest gun start 100 of the Olympics. It was a new world record, but Steve didn’t get to do it when it would count for that fourth gold medal.
Clark’s book, Competitive Swimming As I See It , is a swimming best seller.
Happy Birthday Stephanie Rice!!
Stephanie Rice (AUS)
Honor Swimmer (2019)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m I.M, 400m I.M, 4x200m freestyle; 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): bronze (200m I.M, 400m I.M.); 2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): silver (200m I.M, 4x100m medley); bronze (400m I.M.); 2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): bronze (400m I.M., 4x100m medley); 2006 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (200m I.M., 400m I.M); 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200m I.M, 400m I.M)
She first showed promise of being a great swimmer at 16, when she qualified for the 2005 Junior Pan-Pacific Championships. It was there that Stephanie Rice won two gold medals for Team Australia.
Rice burst onto the international senior scene in 2006 under coach Michael Bohl, winning two gold medals in both IMs at the Commonwealth Games in her home country. The next year at the World Championships also in front of a home crowd, Rice won two bronze medals in both IMs, lowering the Australian record in the 200.
In March 2008 at the Australian Olympic Trials in Sydney, Rice unexpectedly broke the world record in the 400m IM by a full second. Three days later, she broke the 200m IM world record that had stood for 11 years and qualified for her first Olympic team.
At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Rice became just the sixth Australian athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympics when she won both IMs and led off Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.
Stephanie became the first woman to break 4:30 in the 400m IM and lowered her own world record in the 200m IM later in the meet. To finish off her meet, she broke the Australian record in the 200m freestyle en route to Australia breaking the world record in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Rice was honored as the World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine and in January 2009 was awarded the prestigious Order of Australia Medal.
After the Olympics, Rice started dealing with nagging shoulder pain while she swam. At the 2009 World Championships, she won silver in the 200m IM and bronze in the 400m IM, not quite as good as her Olympics performances.
In 2010, her shoulder pain had gotten so bad, she underwent surgery, causing her to drop out of international competition.
Her surgery was successful but nine months before the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she tore a tendon in her shoulder. She was going to need surgery with a six-month recovery, but with the Olympic Trials only ten weeks away, full surgery was not an option. She elected for a smaller surgery that would hopefully keep her healthy for the Olympics. Despite these injuries, Rice qualified for the London Olympics in both the 200m and 400m IM, posting times near the top of the world rankings at the Olympic Trials.
In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, the pain in her shoulder continued to get worse. She was cutting her work load in the pool to ease the pain, but it was still a struggle. With all the injuries behind her, Rice was proud of her 4th place 200m IM and 6th place 400m IM performances in London and announced her retirement in 2014 at the age of 24.
She co-authored the book, The Art of Wellness, and is an ambassador for numerous well-known Australian health brands. Rice’s passion in life is to share her wealth of knowledge and her insights to positively impact others’ lives and inspire them to be the best they can be.
She is now giving back to the sport of swimming with her coach Michael Bohl. They are planning to build Learn-to- Swim programs all throughout India. In addition, they plan to develop the “Stephanie Rice Elite Academy,” with the goal of producing India’s very first Olympic swimming medalist in the next decade.
Happy Birthday Dr. Denes Kemeny!!
Dr. Denes Kemeny (HUN)
Honor Water Polo (2011)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold; 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold; 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold; 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP S: gold; 2003 FINA WATER POLO WORLD LEAGUE: gold; 2004 FINA WATER POLO WORLD LEAGUE: gold; 1999 FINA WATER POLO WORLD CUP: gold; 1997 EUROPEAN WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; 1999 EUROPEAN WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP S: gold; 2000 LEN WATER POLO EUROPEAN LEAGUE: gold.
Born in Budapest 1954, Denes Kemeny began playing water polo at the young age of six. For the next 21 years, he played for six teams making the Hungarian National Team from 1974 to 1986 and competing in over 17 international games for his country. But his competition days were only preparing him for what was to come. In a country where water polo is the national sport, Kemeny would become one of Hungary’s most successful water polo coaches ever.
He graduated college in veterinary medicine, but later with a degree of water polo master trainer, he assumed the head coaching reigns of the National Team of Hungary; a country that had won an Olympic medal at all 12 Olympic Games from 1928 through 1980, but had not won an Olympic medal for the 20 year period from the1980 Moscow Olympics to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Kemeny changed all that! Within two short years as National Team Coach in 1978, his style, leadership and coaching ability returned.
Hungary to world prominence and water polo world dominance. Everything he touched turned to gold: the 2000 Olympic Sydney Olympic Games defeating Russia with the biggest goal margin in the history of Olympic finals; the 2004 Olympic Athens Games defeating Serbia & Montenegro coming back from a two goal deficit in the final period; and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games defeating a strong, surprise team from the USA.
This marks the first time a country has won three successive Olympic Games since Great Britain in 1908, 1912 and 1920. Kemenycoached teams have won gold medals at World Championships, World League, World Cups, European Championships and the European League. Kemeny has the ability to take young players and turn them into great players.
Help put ISHOF on City of Fort Lauderdale’s Monopoly Board!
(Photos shared from City Commissioner Steve Glassman’s Facebook Page)
On Tuesday, June 11, City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis joined ISHOF Board Member, Vice Mayor Steve Glassman & Mr. Monopoly to announce that Monopoly is working on a Ft. Lauderdale version!
Screenshot
The company is encouraging email submissions for local landmarks that they believe should be featured on the board. What could be more iconic than the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) – the Swimming and Diving Capital of the World?!?
And WE NEED YOUR HELP to get ISHOF on the map! Literally! We need YOU to help by voting to INCLUDE ISHOF on the Fort Lauderdale version of the Monopoly game. All you have to do is copy and paste the statement below and email it to:
copy and paste the statement below, provide your name and email to fortlauderdale@toptrumps.com
I vote for the legendary and now reimagined International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) to be included in the new Fort Lauderdale MONOPOLY edition because we are the Swimming and Diving Capital of the World and a cornerstone of our community’s history and development for over 65 years.
Thank you for considering this iconic landmark and famous peninsula.
(Your name)
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Thank you and please share with others to send in their recommendations too!
Your friends at ISHOF ~