Happy Birthday Mark Spitz!!
MARK SPITZ (USA) 1977 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (4x100m, 4x200m freestyle relay), silver (100m butterfly), bronze (100m freestyle); 1972 gold (100m, 200m freestyle; 100m, 200m butterfly; 4x100m, 4x200m freestyle relay; 4x100m medley relay); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 (5 gold); WORLD RECORDS: 33; NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 24; AMERICAN RECORDS: 38; NCAA Titles: 8; 1972 “World Swimmer of the Year”.
Mark Spitz was the 1971 Sullivan Award winner as the AAU’s top athlete in any sport, an omen of things to come. His 7 gold medals in the 1972 Olympics are all the more remarkable in that all were World Records. They were in such varied distances as the sprint 100m Freestyle and the endurance 200m Butterfly. He was everybody’s World Athlete of the Year for 1972 and along with Johnny Weissmuller is rated one of the greatest swimmers the world has ever known. This remarkable consistency was not easily come by. Always brilliant he ranged from the World’s best 10-and-under to the most disappointing swimmer at the 1968 Olympics before sticking it to his critics once and for all in Munich. Spitz was fortunate to have three of the greatest swim coaches the United States has known — Hall of Famers Sherm Chavoor, Doc Counsilman and George Haines.
Black History Month: During General Slocum Disaster, Harry George Was a Hero
Story by ISHOF Curator, Bruce Wigo
Black History Month: During General Slocum Disaster, Harry George Was a Hero
The General Slocum steamship disaster was the greatest single catastrophe in New York City’s history until Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. On June 15, 1904, the Gen. Slocum was taking a group of almost 1,400 passengers, mostly women and children, on a trip of New York City’s East River to a picnic on Long Island.
Photo Courtesy: Pittsburgh Courier
The ship caught fire shortly after leaving the dock. Most of the passengers tried to escape the fire by jumping into the water, and because they didn’t know how to swim, they drowned. Bodies of mothers, grandmothers, and girls washed up on the shorelines for days. One of the forgotten heroes, saving some of the passengers, was Harry N. George, an African American.
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George was credited with saving 23 lives through his courage and resolve and was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was also awarded the Life-Saving Gold Medal of New York.
The lesson from the Slocum disaster wasn’t lost on the nation: “Learn to swim!” commanded an editorial in the New York Herald that was repeated throughout the country. “That should be the resolve of every intelligent woman who does not already know how, upon reading the pitiful story of how woman after woman drowned within just a few feet of shore.”
As a consequence of the Slocum disaster, the American Red Cross was moved to begin its water safety and lifesaving programs and swimming became an essential part of public education. Unfortunately, most African Americans were denied the same opportunities to learn to swim, as virtually all pools and beaches were closed to non-whites during the first half of the 20th Century, in spite of the heroics of Harry N. George. It would not be until the 1930s when the first African Americans were certified as Red Cross Water Safety instructors and Lifeguards.
Happy Birthday Greg Louganis!!
Greg Louganis (USA)
Honor Diver (1993)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1976 silver (platform), 1980 (boycott), 1984 gold (springboard & platform), 1988 gold (springboard & platform); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1978 gold (platform), 1982 gold (springboard & platform), 1986 gold (springboard & platform); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1979 gold (springboard & platform), 1983 gold (springboard & platform), 1987 gold (springboard & platform); FINA CUP: 1979 gold (platform), 1981 silver (springboard), 1983 gold (springboard & platform), 1987 gold (springboard); U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 47.
Known as the king of diving, Louganis reigned over his sport for more than a decade with grace, power, and unequaled precision.
Winner of the coveted James E. Sullivan award for outstanding achievements in athletics in 1984, Greg established himself as the USA’s best athlete. Not only is Louganis the only male diver in history to win both springboard and platform gold medals for diving in consecutive Olympic Games, 1984 and 1988, a third set of double wins would have probably been his, too, if it were not for the USA’s boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games.
One man who came close to matching Louganis’ Olympic record was his first coach, Dr. Sammy Lee, who won consecutive platform titles at the 1948 Olympic Games in London and the 1952 Games in Helsinki. It was Sammy Lee who spotted the talents of Louganis in 1971 when Louganis scored a perfect ten at the age of eleven at the AAU Junior Olympics. Louganis was soon training with Sammy Lee and went on to win a silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. It was evident that Greg was on his way to becoming one of the best divers the world has ever seen.
In 1978 Ron O’Brien, also a world-class diver like Lee, joined the staff at Mission Viejo. That year Greg won both World championships titles and defeated the long-time platform champion Klaus Dibiasi of Italy. For the next decade, Greg Louganis was the man to beat on the boards, dominating every national and international competition he entered.
Like many athletes, Greg anticipated the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Unfortunately, the United States government boycotted the Games in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Disappointed, but not discouraged, Louganis decided to continue to pursue his dream.
In 1984 Louganis became the first man in 56 years to win two Olympic gold medals in diving. Hall of Famer Pete Desjardins of Miami had done it at the 1928 Games in Paris. In 1988, competing against divers half his age, Louganis became the first man to win double gold medals for diving in two consecutive Olympic Games, a feat duplicated only once in Olympic history by women’s champion Pat McCormick in 1952-1956.
ISHOF’s 61st Annual Honoree Ceremony ~ Buy your tickets now and make your hotel reservations NOW!
Photo courtesy Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale
The International Swimming Hall of Fame Board of Directors has decided to move it’s Annual Honoree Induction Ceremony back to the month of May this year. For the last six or seven years, ISHOF has hosted its Honoree Ceremonies in the Fall, September or October, but the Board decided this year to move it back to May, where it was previously held for many years, in conjunction with the FINA Grand Prix Diving Meet.
61st Annual ISHOF Honoree Ceremony Weekend
The weekend is a two-night event.
Friday, May 15, 2026
ISHOF Aquatic & Specialty Awards and Masters Honoree Ceremony
Location: Embassy Suites, 1100 S.E. 17th Street, FLL, 954.527.2700
6:00-7:00pm Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
7:00-9:00pm ISHOF Aquatic & Specialty Awards & Masters Ceremony
Saturday, May 16, 2026
61st Annual ISHOF Honoree Ceremony – Induction of Class of 2026
Location: War Memorial Auditorium, 800 Northeast 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
6:00-7:00pm Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
7:00-9:00pm 61st Annual ISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremony
The schedule for both nights will be cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres, followed by the evening’s ceremony, theater style 7:00-9:00 pm (approx.).
TICKETS:
INDUCTIONTICKETS – Saturday, Honoree Ceremony ($150.00)
AWARDSMASTERSTICKETS – Friday, Awards/Masters Induction ($100.00)
HOST HOTEL:
Embassy Suites 17th St, 1100 S.E. 17th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316, Phone: 954.527.2700 / Hotel Nightly Rate: $219.
Hotel Link:– Use or Share this link to make hotel reservations:
https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/fllsoes-ish-10f70a89-8b00-47df-8135-fb36ee4694dd
We suggest you make your reservations as soon as possible, Sunday night is already sold out.
Saturday, May 16, 2025
ISHOF Class of 2026
Swimmers:
Nathan Adrian (USA)
László Cseh (HUN)
Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)
Diver: Tania Cagnotto (ITA)
Artistic Swimming: Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA)
Water Polo: Simone Fountain (AUS)
Open Water Swimmer: Ferry Weertman (NED)
Coach: Jane Figueiredo (ZIM)
Contributor: Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA)
Masters Swimmer: Richard Burns (USA)
Paralympian: Beatrice Hess (FRA)
**Honorees from the Class of 2025 (who were not able to attend in Singapore-will be in Fort Lauderdale, May, 2026 for official Induction)
Honor Swimmers:
Ryan Lochte (USA)
Honor Coach:
Gregg Troy (USA)
Friday, May 15, 2026
Masters (MISHOF) Class of 2026
Masters Swimmers:
Kirsten Cameron (NZL)
Ellen Reynolds (USA)
Eiji Nomura (JPN)
Toshio Tajima (JPN)
Masters Water Polo Player:
Georgy “Mishi” Mshvenieradze (RUS)
**In addition, we will be inducting two honorees from last year’s class that were unable to attend, they are:
Masters Swimmer:
Hiroshi Matsumoto (JPN)
Masters Synchronized/Artistic Swimmer:
Joyce Corner* (CAN)
ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal
David Szanto (HUN) ~ Competitive Swimming
Drew Johansen (USA) ~ Diving
Mary Black (GBR) ~ Artistic/Synchronized Swimming
Leanne Barnes (AUS) ~ Water Polo
The New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance (USA) ~ Water Safety
ISHOF Specialty Awards
Katie Ledecky, “Just Add Water” (USA) co-recipient, 2026 Buck Dawson Author’s Award
Micki King and Elaine K. Howley, “Break of A Lifetime” (USA) co-recipients, Buck Dawson Author’s Award
Ted Robinson (USA) The Al Schoenfield Media Award
The Pool Nation Podcast (USA) The Every Child A Swimmer Award
Beth Scalone (USA) The John K. Williams Adapted Aquatics Award
Today We Remember Bob Duenkel, Long-Time ISHOF Employee and Honoree, on His Birthday!!
Bob Duenkel (USA)
Honor Contributor (2021)
FOR THE RECORD: 40+ YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO ISHOF AND THE HISTORY OF THE AQUATIC WORLD AS ISHOF’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CURATOR; AWARDS: 1997 GLENN HUMMER AWARD BY USA SWIMMING, 1997 NAMED IN AQUATIC’S INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE AS “WHO’S WHO IN AQUATICS”, 1999 WEST ORANGE (NJ) HALL OF FAME, 2004 ISHOF PRESIDENTIAL AWARD, 2018 HONOR CONTRIBUTOR INTERNATIONAL MARATHON SWIMMING HALL OF FAME
As a young boy he had a love of swimming from almost the day he was born. He began competitive swimming for the YMCA of New Jersey and was a state record holder before being a star swimmer and water polo player at Kansas State University. After graduating from KSU with both an undergraduate and master’s degree in physical education, Bob Duenkel moved to Fort Lauderdale. He taught physical education and coached swimming at Northeast High School, worked as a water safety instructor and worked for the Fort Lauderdale Beach Patrol – all before “Buck” Dawson convinced him to work as his assistant at the Hall of Fame in 1976.
The ISHOF position afforded Bob the opportunity to work exclusively in the field of his passion – swimming. He had time to train as a Masters swimmer at the Hall of Fame Pool and coach swimming at Broward Community College. In 1978 he was named National Junior College Swimming Coach of the Year. In the summer of 1976, he also took over the running of Dawson’s Camp Chikopi, a boys sports and wilderness camp in Ontario, Canada. Chikopi was also the world’s first summer swimming camp, founded in 1920 by US Olympic swimming coach, Matt Mann, Dawson’s father-in-law. When Dawson passed away, he left the camp to Bob and his wife Colette.
Bob’s greatest contribution to swimming, however, was his 40+ years of dedication and service to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Bob not only absorbed the rich history of swimming like a sponge from Dawson, but through the lips of Johnny Weissmuller, Eleanor Holm, Buster Crabbe, Esther Williams, and many, many more. His knowledge of swimming history was encyclopedic. He studied and knew all the minutiae of swimming and swimmers, from the ancient Greek swimmer Leander to the most recent inductee, every Olympiad, every event, every time and every stroke. He was museum curator and presided over 40 years of ISHOF Induction Ceremonies.
From 2004-2005 he served as interim CEO and Executive Director, and then resumed his previous duties until his retirement in 2016. For any visitor to ISHOF, Bob was an invaluable resource, always there to tell a story, clarify any facts or just to toss off a quip or two. He made a wonderful ambassador for the sport and was willing to spend as many hours as necessary to aid a visitor’s knowledge of aquatics.
There will never be another person more knowledgeable about every aspect of aquatics than Bob Duenkel. Bob sadly passed away in February of 2019. During his lifetime of service to swimming he was as much part of the International Swimming Hall of Fame as any Honoree – and now he joins those whom he both served and loved, including his little sister Ginny, a 1964 Olympic Champion and world record holder as an honored member of ISHOF.
Happy Birthday John Naber !!
JOHN NABER (USA) 1982 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1976 gold (100m, 200m backstroke; 2 relays), silver (200m freestyle); WORLD RECORDS: 6 (100m, 200m backstroke; 2 relays); AAU NATIONALS: 25 (100yd, 200yd backstroke, 1650yd freestyle; 7 relays); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1977 gold (500m freestyle; 100m, 200m backstroke); NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: 15 (100yd, 200yd backstroke; 500yd freestyle; 5 relays); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1973 bronze 9200m backstroke); 1976 Southern California Athlete of the Year; 1976 World Male Swimmer of the Year; 1977 AAU Sullivan Award; 1977 Trophy of the International Committee for Fair Play (Warsaw, Poland).
Six foot-six inch John Naber (USA) was high man at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, winning four gold medals all in World Record time and taking a silver in the 200 meter freestyle behind his USC teammate Bruce Furniss, who set a world record to beat Naber. John’s honors were highlighted but not limited to the Olympics.
He entered competitive swimming at age 13, won 25 AAU titles and holds the record of ten individual and 15 NCAA relay titles in his four years of college (1974-77). In milestone achievements, Naber was the first man under two minutes for the 200 meter milestone achievements. Naber was the first man under two minutes for the 200 meter back, the first under 1:50 for 200 yd. back, the first under 50 seconds for the 100 yard back, and the first under 56 seconds for the 100 meter back.
He won the Sullivan Award as the USA’s No. 1 athlete in 1977, was 1976 Southern California Athlete of the year, 1976 World Male Swimmer of the year, and was even named USA Sportsman of the year by the USSR’s Tass News Agency.
As an indication of things to come after competition, as an inspiration to to other swimmers, he was the first American swimmer awarded the Trophy of the International Committee for Fair Play in Paris, France for the year 1977. He pays his debts to swimming every day with his inspirational speaking tours, sportscasting, and as a consultant to MacDonald’s in the sponsorship of age group swimming, and a traveling ambassador for Speedo. He was also a member of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games Organizing Committee. He lived it and tells it like it was and has a message for everyone. John Naber makes us all feel like we could be winners!
Happy Birthday Tracy Caulkins!!
Tracy Caulkins (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1990)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1984 gold (200m, 400m individual medley; relay); 1980: member of U.S. Olympic Team; WORLD RECORDS: 5 (200m, 400m individual medley; 200m butterfly; relay); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1978 gold (200m butterfly; 200m, 400m individual medley; 2 relays), silver (100m breaststroke); 1982 bronze (200m, 400m individual medley); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1979 gold (200m, 400m individual medley; 2 relays), silver (100m breaststroke; 400m freestyle); 1983 gold (200m, 400m individual medley), silver (200m butterfly); U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 48 (200m butterfly; 200yd, 200m, 400yd, 400m individual medley; 500yd freestyle; 200yd backstroke; 100yd, 100m, 200yd, 200m breaststroke; relays); AMERICAN RECORDS: 63 (100yd, 500yd freestyle; 100yd, 100m, 200yd, 200m breaststroke; 200yd backstroke; 200yd, 200m, 400yd, 400m individual medley; relays) NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: 12 (100yd, 200yd butterfly; 100yd, 200yd, 400yd individual medley; 100yd breaststroke); 1978 Sullivan Award; 1982, 1983 Broderick Cup; 1981, 1984 Sportswoman of the Year; 1980, 1981 American Swimmer of the Year.
Tracy Caulkins burst onto the international scene at the 1978 Berlin World Championships with five golds and one silver. In the ensuing years she accumulated more National Championship titles (46) and set more American records (63) than any other swimmer. At 15, Tracy was the youngest recipient of the AAU Sullivan Award given to United State’s finest amateur athlete.
Tracy Caulkins trained with her sister Amy at the Nashville Aquatic Club, a team her parents helped to organize. She was America’s queen of the individual medley for eight years and her versatility was phenomenal. Tracy’s performances from 1971 to 1984 included every stroke and distance at the AAU, USS and NCAA National Championships. She brought further notoriety to her already famous coaches Paul Bergen, Don Talbot, Ron Young and Randy Reese.
Tracy was a standout in the classroom and was the top vote-getter in the College Sports Information Directors Association 1983 and 1984 Academic All-American Teams.
Friends we’ve lost in 2025
Carol Penny Taylor – November 4, 2025
Swimming loses an Icon in Carol “Penny Taylor at age 96
Joan Harrison May 20, 2025
Today on Facebook, on the Swimming History of Southern Africa Page, they announces the death of Joan Harrison Breetzke, who was inducted into ISHOF as an Honor Swimmer in 1982. Joan came to Fort Lauderdale in 1982 for her induction to celebrate the milestone. Pictured below is Joan accepting award, doing her footprints in cement and looking at her ISHOF display.
Joan Harrison (RSA) 1982 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1952 gold (100m backstroke); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1950 gold (400m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle); 1954 gold (100m backstroke; relay), silver (relay), bronze (100m freestyle).
Born in 1935 of a swimming mother and a rugby-playing father in East London, South Africa, Joan Harrison wasted little time taking advantage of her sporting heritage. At 13, she already held three Jr. and two Sr. national records, and that year won the 220 and 500 yd. Senior Freestyle National Championships.
In 1950, at age 14, she won the 440 yd. freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, beating the old record by 13 seconds and finishing 7 seconds ahead of the field. It was her first international competition and she was declared the outstanding woman swimmer in the Games.
Her second International Games was the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won South Africa’s first and only Olympic gold medal for swimming. In 1954, at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, she won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze before retiring at the ripe old age of 17.
She won the Helms Foundation Award for the best African athletic performance in any sport in 1952, and while concentrating on field hockey after 1954, she did manage to come back two more years to win the Nationals in her favorite 100 meter backstroke and in the 300 I. M. in 1956. She was South Africa’s supreme swimmer in freestyle, backstroke and I.M. for six years.
RIP Joan Harrison Breetzke.
Heinz Kluetemeier January 14, 2025
IMSHOF Honoree Linda McGill, MBE, OAM died 30 July 2025
Linda McGill, MBE, OAM was the first to swim around Hong Kong Island in 17 hours and 6minutes; across Port Phillip Bay, Victoria; and from Townsville to Magnetic Island, Queensland,Australia. She established a new women’s record in 9 hours and 59 minutes across the EnglishChannel in 1967 – which held until 1975.She completed the English Channel a total of 3 times; around Manhattan swim three times in 1983,1984 and 1986; and St-Jean in 1968.Linda competed in the pool in the 1964 Olympics.Expanded Biography (Openwaterpedia)Long Swims Database (Marathon Swimmers Federation)
Irene Sarah Wakeham died 19 October 2025
Not an Honoree – a long term contributor
Every summer (which gets longer and longer) for several decades, Irene was part of the “beach crew” in Dover England. An unpaid volunteer she helped aspiring English Channel swimmers: greeting them by name, checked them in/out of the water, “guarded” their clothes bags, met them hourly at the water’s edge with drink bottles of carbo-mix, encouraged them to keep going, made sure they staggered back after to their clothes after long sessions (sometime 10+ hours), and told them that they were wonderful and on-track for a future success. Every swimmer knew that Irene cared about them as individuals.
Pictured between Michael Oram (IMSHOF) and Kevin Murphy (ISHOF and IMSHOF) at an annual ceremony dinner.
Happy Birthday David Marsh!!
David Marsh (USA)
Honor Coach (2021)
2016 WOMEN’S USA OLYMPIC TEAM HEAD COACH; THREE-TIME USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ASSISTANT COACH (1996, 2000, 2012); 2003 USA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAD COACH; 1994 USA WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; 2005 USA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH; 1995 USA MEN’S PAN-PACIFIC TEAM HEAD COACH; 1999 USA MEN’S PAN-PACIFIC TEAM ASSISTANT COACH; 2014 USA WOMEN’S TEAM ASSISTANT PAN PAC CHAMPIONSHIPS; HEAD COACH AUBURN UNIVERSITY, WINNING (12) TWELVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (SEVEN MEN – 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 AND FIVE WOMEN – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007); (6) SIX-TIME CSCAA MEN’S (1994, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007) AND FOUR-TIME WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007); 2016: ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF PROFESSIONAL SWIMMING, ESTABLISHNG TEAM ELITE, ONE OF THE COUNTRIES FIRST PROFESSIONAL SWIM TEAMS.
David Marsh is considered one of the top coaches in swimming today. He skyrocketed to swimming fame in 1990 when he was named Head Men and Women’s Coach of his alma mater, Auburn University.
Seven years later he went on a championship winning spree that was unparalleled. He led the Auburn men’s team to seven NCAA National Championships and the women’s team to five. Marsh is the most successful Auburn coach regardless of sport. He is arguably the most successful in the state of Alabama and the SEC with his 12 NCAA titles surpassing the six won by legendary football coach Bear Bryant at Alabama. Marsh has been called the Kingmaker of sprinters and during his tenure at Auburn, Marsh coached three of the fastest sprinters in the world, Cesar Cielo, Frederick Bousquet and George Bovell. Cielo broke the world record in the 50 free long course, on December 18, 2009 and the record still stands today.
In 2016, Marsh was named the Head Women’s Swimming Coach for the U.S. Olympic Team after serving as the U.S. Assistant Coach to the Men in 1996, 2000 and 2012. Marsh’s club team placed more athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team that headed to Rio than any other program in the U.S. Those names include Kathleen Baker, Cammile Adams, co-captain, Anthony Ervin, Jimmy Feigen, Ryan Lochte and Katie Meili, all earning gold medals. If his club team were a country, they would have placed third in the 2016 Rio Olympic medal standings. In all, the entire Team USA won the most medals in USA Swimming’s already storied Olympic history.
In his early coaching career, Marsh implemented a technique focused program that has now become the model for countless programs around the globe. In the process, he was named USA Swimming’s Developmental Coach of the Year for 2013 and 2014.
At the Senior and Elite level, he established and created the first USA Swimming Center of Excellence, now known as Team Elite. While medals are the goal in the pool for Team Elite, the highest calling for a member is to be a great role model for young swimmers and other age-group swimmers in the community. His goal is to give back to the sport he loves so much.
In May 2017, Marsh moved his Team Elite to San Diego, where he is now headquartered. In addition to coaching, Marsh is currently working on a project called “Coach Marsh Consulting”. His consulting business has David sharing his knowledge by mentoring and developing coaches from all over the world, both formally and informally. Whether he is formally speaking or making a presentation, or just on deck with another coach, he is helping to shape the next generation of coaches.
He has coached more than 60 Olympians from 20+ different countries and his swimmers have combined to win 89 individual NCAA titles and 277 individual SEC titles. Auburn swimmers have also brought home 90 medals from international competitions such as the World Championships, Goodwill Games, Pan-American Games, and the Olympics.
Coach Marsh was inducted into the Auburn, American Swim Coaches Association and North Carolina Halls of Fame, and in December 2016, he was named “Professional Advisor” of the Israel Swimming Association. Most recently, he was named head coach for the LA Current of the International Swim League.
How Long Has It Been? An Event-By-Event Look at the Last Time the USA Won Olympic Gold (Women’s Edition)
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
23 December 2025
How Long Has It Been? Event-By-Event Look at Last Time the USA Won Olympic Gold (Women’s Edition)
Given its century-long dominance in the pool, it’s rare for the United States to go too long without capturing Olympic gold in a specific event. Sure, some events yield greater production than others, but most events have delivered their share of American-earned titles on the biggest stage in the sport.
Here is a look at the last time the United States claimed gold in each of the 14 individual events on the Olympic program:
50 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 1996Winner: Amy Van DykenNote: In the years since Amy Van Dyken prevailed, Dara Torres (2008) and Simone Manuel (2016) have earned silver medals in the 50 freestyle.
100 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 2016Winner: Simone ManuelNote: When Simone Manuel won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, she shared the top step on the podium with Canadian Penny Oleksiak.
200 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 2016Winner: Katie LedeckyNote: The gold medal from Katie Ledecky in Rio was part of her 200-400-800 freestyle sweep.
400 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 2016Winner: Katie LedeckyNote: The gold medal from Katie Ledecky in 2016 arrived in world-record fashion, behind a 3:56.46 clocking.
800 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 2024Winner: Katie LedeckyNote: A future Hall of Famer, Katie Ledecky has won the past four Olympic titles in the event.
1500 Freestyle
Last Gold Medal: 2024Winner: Katie LedeckyNote: The 1500 freestyle didn’t make its Olympic debut as a women’s event until the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
100 Backstroke
Last Gold Medal: 2012Winner: Missy FranklinNote: The United States has won gold in the 100 backstroke on 11 occasions since the event debuted at the 1924 Games in Paris.
200 Backstroke
Last Gold Medal: 2016Winner: Maya DiRadoNote: The victory by Maya DiRado at the 2016 Games denied Hungarian Katinka Hosszu a four-gold performance, as the Hungarian had already won both individual medley events and the 100 backstroke.
100 Breaststroke
Last Gold Medal: 2020Winner: Lydia JacobyNote: Teenager Lydia Jacoby earned her gold medal from an unusual locale, as she hails from Alaska.
200 Breaststroke
Last Gold Medal: 2024Winner: Kate DouglassNote: Four of the past six Olympic crowns in this event belong to Americans, with Amanda Beard (2008), Rebecca Soni (2008/2012) and Kate Douglass prevailing.
100 Butterfly
Last Gold Medal: 2024Winner: Torri HuskeNote: The win by Torri Huske at the Paris Games featured a gold-silver showing for Team USA, as Gretchen Walsh picked up the silver medal.
200 Butterfly
Last Gold Medal: 2000Winner: Misty HymanNote: When Misty Hyman secured the gold medal at the Sydney Games, her win marked a major upset over Australian Susie O’Neill.
200 Individual Medley
Last Gold Medal: 1984Winner: Tracy CaulkinsNote: The 200 individual medley features the longest drought for Olympic gold among American women. Since Tracy Caulkins won in Los Angeles in 1984, four U.S. athletes have claimed silver.
400 Individual Medley
Last Gold Medal: 1988Winner: Janet EvansNote: The Seoul Games were a showcase for Janet Evans, who complemented her triumph in the 400 individual medley with titles in the 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle.