Australia’s Swimming Community Mourns The Passing of National Treasure, Coaching Pioneer, and ISHOF Honoree Ursula Carlile
by IAN HANSON – OCEANIA CORRESPONDENT
16 October 2023, 04:25am
Australia’s Swimming Community Mourns The Passing of National Treasure And Coaching Pioneer Ursula Carlile
The Australian swimming community is today mourning the loss of a legend and a National swimming treasure with the peaceful passing of coaching pioneer Ursula Carlile in Ryde today. She was 86.
Ursula’s passing comes nine years after her famous husband and swimming coaching and teaching icon, Forbes Carlile, passed away during the 2016 Rio Olympics – marking the end of an era – celebrating one of the most famous names in Australian swimming – a name that will forever remain a major part of the country’s sporting landscape.
The Carlile name is synonymous with teaching and coaching excellence – from their humble beginnings from Carlile’s Cross Street backyard teaching pool to the world stages and the golden celebrations of Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth Games glory.
INSIDE THE LAB: Ursula and Forbes Carlile monitoring world record holder Terry Gathercole. Photo Courtesy: Carlile Foundation.
Tributes to Ursula have poured in through the Carlile organisation who prepared an extraordinary insight into the life and times of Ursula Carlile – a tribute to the one and only Lady Mayoress of the pool deck, who guided the great Shane Gould to Olympic glory in Munich in 1972 – later telling the story of where she was on the day of the Israeli massacre and the time she was banned for three years for coaching in China.
A pioneer of sports science who forged a career that broke down barriers for women across the globe, remaining the only woman to be the head coach of the Australian Swimming team, after leading them at both the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch and the 1975 World Championships in Cali, Columbia.
Carlile Foundation director, Australian champion and Commonwealth Games swimmer, Richard Cahalan said of Ursula.
“What a remarkable woman. With her late husband Forbes, she pioneered some of the most important innovations in world swimming,” said Cahalan.
Carlile Foundation director and Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Tim Ford saying: “Ursula was a pioneer and a leader in her own right. At a time when our sport was dominated by highly conservative thinking and practices, overt officialdom, and very limited opportunities for female coaches.
“Ursula blazed a trail to be the first female coach of an Australian Olympic swimming team. An amazing achievement, despite the obstacles.”
IN a lifetime dedicated to swimming, Ursula Carlile:
Worked with husband Forbes in the first specialist sports science laboratory.
Establishing a backyard business that now provides more 1.3 million swimming lessons a year.
The first woman to coach Australia’s swimmers at the Olympics.
The first woman to be head coach of the Australian Swimming Team.
A Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Life Member of Swimming Australia, Life Member of the Australian Swimming Teachers and Coaches Association, Member of the Australian Swim Schools Association Hall of Fame, Member of the United States Swim Schools Hall of Fame.
Steering Shane Gould to Three Olympic Gold
While Ursula helped shape the careers of numerous world record holders, the highlight was the bond forged with the incomparable Shane Gould.
In preparation for the 1972 Olympics, the pair spent countless hours at Ryde pool and travelling together to country swimming meets.
THE TIME IS RIGHT: Ursula Carlile and Shane Gould on the eve of the 1972 Munich Olympics. Photo Courtesy: Carlile Foundation
“We really did get to know each other quite well, she was just so gifted,” Ursula said in an interview last year.
Shane was just 15 at the Munich Games, and what an Olympics they were. One where terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli team members and holding nine others hostage. Ursula would help get Shane out of Munich and away from the mayhem that followed.
But Ursula was lucky to be there to help.
On the day of the attack, at 4.30am Ursula, always an early riser, had left her room for a run. Her routine was to leave the village and run around the fence. The Israeli rooms were just opposite the Australians and Ursula missed the terrorists by seconds, saying: “I was really very lucky.’’
Before the Games were marred by the massacre, Ursula guided Shane to perhaps the greatest Olympic performance of any Australian athlete. Shane won five individual medals, three of them gold and all in World Record time.
An individual medal tally that Ian Thorpe, Mark Spitz or Emma McKeon have not matched at a single Olympic Games. In 1972, Ursula also coached Gail Neall to a gold medal and World Record in the 400IM.
“That really was an incredible time. Shane was just so good, but I did feel Forbes deserved more of the credit,” Ursula said.
FULL MEDAL STACK: Shane Gould with her five Munich Medals from 1972. Photo: Russell McPhedran (Courtesy Hanson Media Collection).
“I was working with her, but as much as anything, I was giving her the programs that Forbes had developed.”
Banned For Three Years
Ursula’s career also included stints with the Dutch Olympic team in 1964 and coaching in China, a step that put her on a collision course with swimming’s officials.
This was an era when most of the western world hadn’t recognised the Chinese government.
“We’d been invited to coach the Chinese. This is way back when China was excommunicated,” Ursula said. Australian officials were livid, threatening to ban Forbes.
“I said that I was the coach and Forbes was only there as my assistant, so if they disqualified anybody, they’d have to disqualify me. And they did.”
Ursula was banned from Australian swimming for three years.
“It was a genuine act of selflessness. Ursula took the blame and the suspension, so Forbes could continue to coach,” said Cahalan.
It was just another battle for a woman of principle, “I wasn’t even able to go on the pool deck at local meets, because I was a bad person who’d been to China.”
Ursula lived by the motto “no one cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care” and she cared deeply about her two great loves, Forbes and swimming.
Making it all the harder to believe, she was once an adult who couldn’t swim.
Forbes and Ursula Love At First Sight
YIOUNG GUNS IN FAMOUS HANDS: World beating freestylers Sally Lockyer and Jenny Turrall with suer coaches Ursula and Forbes Carlile.Circa 1974. Photo Courtesy:
Needing to complete a swim as the final part of her university degree in Physical Education, Ursula’s parents contacted the man who was regarded as the best coach in the country. Of course, that was Forbes Carlile.
Was it love at first sight? “I guess it was from Forbes’ point of view. I thought about it a little bit more. I think my parents thought about it a lot more. They were thinking, you can’t, he can’t afford to support you. I said, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to be off overseas, we won’t need to support ourselves,” Ursula recalled in an interview last year.
Off overseas, indeed. Their passion for swimming even hijacked their wedding. A Saturday morning ceremony at the registry office in Sydney was followed by a quick cup of tea and then a dash to the airport.
The honeymoon started in Townsville, as the two scientists helped prepare the Australian team for the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
“What a honeymoon. The Australian team did very well there and then we went on a swimming trip through Europe. The boys team went one way and the women another. We visited with swimming people all over. They were some of our happiest times,” Ursula recalled years later.
The two turned Carlile into a dominant force in world swimming and the most successful club team in Australian swimming history. They also built the first indoor learn to swim centre in NSW in their backyard at Cross Street.
Although it wasn’t their backyard at the time. They were renting the house but went ahead and knocked down the garage and built the pool where they would begin baby teaching.
“We were always planning to buy the house, so we just went ahead and put the pool in,” Ursula said. The two would stay in that home and operate that “backyard business” for the rest of their lives.
It was the start of a business that now has ten pools and provides more than one million swimming lessons a year. In what was a unique and remarkable coaching partnership, it’s fair to say Ursula had the business brains.
OLYMPIC TICKETS: Coach Ursula Carlile and 1971 Team Manager Roger Pegram. Photo Courtesy: Carlile Foundation.
“Forbes never really cared about money. We had an amazing life travelling the world coaching. He always felt that somehow, the money would be there and inevitably it was,” Ursula said.
“Yes, it was really Ursula who understood how important learn to swim teaching could be in terms of a business. A business which would support elite swimming as it still does to this day,” Mr Cahalan said.
A Swimming Foundation That Lives On
The success of the business enabled Forbes and Ursula to establish a foundation to support competitive swimming and that legacy lives on.
Tim Ford was also coached by Ursula. Years later, he worked with her as the CEO of Carlile Swimming and today, he is on the board of the Carlile Foundation.
“Ursula had a wonderful and unique set of characteristics – unwavering loyalty to Forbes, passion for her beloved Ryde Swimming Club, diligence, and commitment to coaching and deep care for her swimmers. This made it truly special to be coached by Ursula and a tremendous privilege to work with her.”
“Ursula was the epitome of the quiet achiever. Given Forbes’ larger than life personality, and with her natural reserve and humility, Ursula’s profile was often secondary to Forbes’. However, it was a big mistake to underestimate the impact that Ursula had on the Carlile organisation. She was fiercely determined, highly intelligent and technically excellent. Her swimmers were always very well trained with precise technique and pacing.”
Tim was there to accept Ursula’s induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Ursula was justifiably delighted. “It makes me extremely proud, because along with Forbes, we have been in swimming all our lives. I feel very honoured.”
The induction came almost 50 years after husband Forbes was inducted, making them the only husband and wife coaching team in the Hall of Fame.
“It’s exciting. It’s the first time and I feel really honoured and I know Forbes would too, if he was here,” Ursula said at the time.
When asked what she would like people to remember when her name is mentioned, Ursula was typically modest. “Well, it will never be mentioned on its own. It always will be Forbes and Ursula, which suits me very well. He was the scientist; he was the innovator the one who bought scientific concepts not just to swimming, but to sports. Between us, we did have something special going on.”
Special is an understatement. RIP Ursula Carlile.
With thanks to Carlile CEO Jon Harker
URSULA WITH GEN NEXT: Ursula Carlile has left her legacy with these Gen Next girls. Photo Courtesy: Carlile Foundation
Ursula Carlile with Carol Gathercole (left) and Lynn Elliott. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Coaches And Teachers Association.
Ursula Carlile with Carol Gathercole (left) and Dawn Fraser. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Coaches And Teachers Association.
Happy Birthday Summer Sanders!!
Summer Sanders (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2002)
FOR THE RECORD: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m butterfly), gold (4x100m
medley relay – preliminary heat), silver (200m IM), bronze (400m IM), 6th (100m butterfly). 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m butterfly), silver (200m IM), bronze (400m IM); 8 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2-100y butterfly, 2-200y butterfly, 1-200y IM, 2-400y IM, 1-200m IM; 9 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2-200y butterfly, 2-200y IM, 2-400y IM, 1-4x50y medley relay, 1-4x100y medley relay, 1-4x100y freestyle relay; 1989 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (200m IM); 1991 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m IM, 400m IM, 200m butterfly).
Summer Sanders, a name synonymous with success in swimming. Born October 13, 1972,
by age three Sanders could swim a lap of the pool. She wanted to be just like her older brother
Trevor. So in 1976 she joined the Sugar Bears, an age group swimming program in Roseville, California, coached by Mike Barsotti, Scott Winter and Scott O’Conner. From there she jumped to the Sierra Aquatic Club with coach Ralph Thomas and finally to COA where coach Mike Hastings became her greatest influence as a coach. “She knew how to find the holes in the
water,” Hastings recalled. “You know how Summer psyches herself up?” brother Trevor had said, “She does it by smiling.” But who could have predicted that she would make swimming history years later at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, winning two gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
In 1989 at age 17, she made her way to a silver medal in the 200m I.M. behind Lin Li of China at the Pan Pacific Championships, her first international meet. Two years later, she came back to win the event, as well as the 400m I.M. (beating Lin Li) and the 200m butterfly.
In 1991, her first year swimming for Hall of Fame coach Richard Quick at Stanford University, Sanders won the 200y butterfly, 200y I.M. and 400y I.M and the 4x100y medley relay. And she repeated her championship swims in 1992, the only other year she swam at Stanford and helped her team win the NCAA National Championships. All totaled, she won eight NCAA National Championship titles during her two years of competition.
At Perth, Australia for the 1991 World Championships, Summer won a silver medal in the 200m I.M. and a bronze medal in the 400m I.M. behind Lin Li of China. It was her prelude to winning the gold medal in the 200m butterfly in the Olympic record time of 2:08.67 the next year at the Barcelona Olympics.
Sanders also won silver and bronze medals in the 200m and 400m individual medleys and a second gold medal on the 4x100m medley relay – preliminary heat. In qualifying for the Olympic Games, Summer was the first U.S. woman since Hall of Famer Shirley Babashoff in 1976 to qualify for four individual events at one Olympiad.
Summer swam for another year, then officially retired in 1994, but came back a year later to try unsuccessfully for the 1996 Olympic Team. During her career she won eight U.S. National Championships.
Sanders turned her enthusiasm, focus, and glowing smile to television reporting and event hosting. She has been co-host of NBA Inside Stuff, contributor for the Today Show, host of “U.S. Olympic Gold,” co-host on Nickelodeon, contributing editor of Self Magazine, and special feature correspondent for NBC Sports at the 2002 Olympics. She has been a reporter for the NBA, USA tennis and various other events and a special representative of Sport for the U.S. Committee for UNICEF.
Happy Birthday Ian Thorpe!!
Ian Thorpe (AUS)
Honor Swimmer (2011)
FOR THE RECORD: 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (200m freestyle, 4×100 m medley); 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle), silver (4x200m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle): 1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m freestyle, 4X200 m freestyle); 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley); 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (200m Individual Medley) bronze (100m freestyle); 17 WORLD RECORDS: 6 (200m freestyle), 5 (400m freestyle), 2 (800 m freestyle), 1 (4x100m freestyle), 3 (4x200m freestyle); 6 WORLD RECORDS (25m): 3 (200m freestyle), 1 (400m freestyle), 2 (4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); 1999 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m): gold (200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 1998 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle; 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); 2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley), silver (100m backstroke); 1999 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); 2002 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (4x100m medley); WORLD SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: 1998-1999, 2001-2002: WORLD PACIFIC RIM SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004.
As a child, Ian Thorpe grew tired of seeing his older sister swim in competitions, so he also took up swimming. He was a natural swimmer with a natural stroke, who after outgrowing a chlorine allergy, swam his way into the history books to become Australia’s most decorated swimmer ever. Nicknamed “Torpedo”, Thorpe became a celebrated hero throughout the world. At age 14 he became the youngest-ever male World Champion when he won the 400m freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championship, dominating this event for the next six years.
A giant in swimming, he stood 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 230 pounds with a shoe size 17 and an arm span of 6 feet 5 inches. He was built for speed and most everything he swam resulted in winning gold medals. He won four gold medals at the 1998 Kuala Lampur Commonwealth Games; four gold medals at the 1999 Pan Pacific Games; six gold medals at the 2001 Fukuoka World Championships; five gold medals at the 2002 Yokohama Pan Pacific Games; three gold medals at the 2003 Barcelona World Championships, and six gold medals at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Thorpe won the 400 meter freestyle in world record time and another two gold medals on the freestyle relay teams. He also won silver medals in the 200m freestyle and 4×100 meter medley relay team. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he became the only Olympian in history to win medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle at the same Olympic Games by winning gold medals in the 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle and a bronze medal in the 100 meter freestyle. All totaled, Thorpe used his powerful trademark six-beat kick to set 18 world records. Today, Ian has his own jewelry and underwear line, is an ambassador for Armani clothes and has a swimming pool named in his honor. He co-founded the Ian Thorpe Foundation for Youth Trust, a charity that benefits the treatment of children with life threatening diseases.
Calling for Nominations for Class of 2024 Honorees ~ Submit your nomination today!
It is that time of year again, when we ask for nominations from all disciplines and all countries. Each individual should have achieved tremendous success in the aquatic discipline(s) and/or made a significant impact on the sport of aquatics through their lifelong efforts. Nominations must be submitted along with supporting materials by December 15, 2023
Please submit your nomination via this link (below) and upload it to ishof.org
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbWjNJq9cc0r3Jj5RePDhMmc8ToA1HX9fyjqFnNupU2FIAjQ/viewform
Nominations can be made by anyone in any of the following seven categories:
SWIMMER (includes Olympic, Masters, Marathon, Open Water and Pioneer Swimmers)
DIVER (includes Olympic, Masters and Pioneer Divers)
WATER POLO PLAYER (includes Olympic, Masters and Pioneer Water Polo Players)
ARTISTIC SWIMMER (includes Olympic, Masters and Pioneer Synchronized Swimmers)
PARALYMPIAN (includes only athletes at Paralympic Games)
COACH (Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming, Masters, Open Water & Marathon Swimming)
CONTRIBUTOR (Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming, Masters, Open Water & Marathon Swimming)
Nomination Forms
Nomination forms can be found on the ISHOF website. You can complete and submit the form online, or print the form and return it via email (meg@ishof.org), fax (954.525.4031) or snail mail (Meg Keller-Marvin, International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1 Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316)
Requirements for Nomination
Each nominee must meet the following minimum criteria to appear on the ballot: (see full list of criteria)
Generally, athletes shall not be chosen unless retired from international competition at least four years, or at least one Olympic quadrennial. “Athletes” refers to swimmers, open water swimmers (FINA), divers, water polo players and artistic (synchronized) swimmers and paralympic swimmers. Masters and Marathon swimmers (Non-FINA) may be nominated without retirement after being inducted in their respective Hall of Fame and will be voted on by the same criteria as all other nominees.
Note that male and female candidates are grouped together, alphabetically. Male and female candidates should be voted upon as one combined group per category.
A coach must have a significant international record and have been coaching at least 25 years.
A contributor must have been in aquatics at least 20 years and have had a significant international impact. Athletic achievement should NOT be considered, contributions are to the overall improvement or development of “international” sport through leadership, journalism, invention or other area of great, outstanding impact.
The pioneer category was created to honor great achievements or advancements in aquatics that have been overlooked. These include special circumstances, such as interruptions caused by war or politics, barrier-breaking moments, societal changing events, etc.
All nominees must exemplify the highest athletic moral and ethical standards. Any past or current violations of the spirit and principles of Olympism, such as doping, DUI’s, domestic violence, drug abuse, accusations of sexual offense etc. have to be disclosed at the time of nomination. If and when ISHOF is presented with substantial or compelling evidence, a criminal charge, conviction or admission of guilt, the ISHOF board of Directors will consider all options within our means and resources that will enable us to ensure the integrity of our Hall of Fame.
Remember the key word – “international”. Emphasis should be placed on the international impact made by the nominee, not just within his or her own country.
Consideration should be given to athletes failing to participate in Olympics because of non-Olympic years due to war (1916, 1940, 1944), boycotts (1980, 1984) injury, career interruptions and non-Olympic events such as the individual medley (I.M.) prior to 1964, etc.
Important: Please provide contact information (email, phone, or address) of the person you are nominating and a high-resolution photo (either a photo you took or a photo that you own the rights to).
For more information please email Meg Keller-Marvin at meg@ishof.org or call 570.594.4367
For an alphabetical list of current inductees, please visit the ISHOF website.
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, and increase participation in aquatic sports.
ISHOF 58th Honoree Induction Ceremony brings out all the Aquatic Superstars and breaks record for largest Honoree Induction Ceremony
This year ISHOF hosted the 58th annual Honoree Induction Ceremony on Saturday, September 30, 2023 and it was a year of firsts. It was the first year ISHOF hosted 13 Honorees from eight different countries from around the globe! It was the first year we inducted an Honoree from Zimbabwe: The lovely KIRSTY COVENTRY, who is currently serving her country as the Honorable Minister of Youth Affair, Sport, Art and Recreation. Kirsty was inducted by Kim Brackin, her coach at Auburn University, when she swam here in the states during her University years. She was also supported by her Head Auburn Coach, David Marsh, ISHOF Honoree, who is currently coaching at CAL Berkeley.
Another first was ISHOF allowed the incoming Honorees to choose anyone they wanted to induct them. Typically, it must be an Honoree who inducts you, but because of television, we decided to change it up this year. And that brings us to another first: ESPN+. Thanks to producer Peter Lasser, ISHOF was able to live stream the Honoree Induction Ceremonies on ESPN+. Lasser’s resume includes everything from the Olympic Games to NCAA’s to United Football League. We have to thank Peter for his amazing talent and hard work, we think it was a FABULOUS show! If you have not seen it yet, it is available ON DEMAND on ESPN+ for the next 60 days.
One thing that was NOT a first was the five-time Olympian, twelve-time Olympic medalist, DARA TORRES, as our emcee. And she was outstanding! Dara was live for two hours and I think she may have been the best she has ever been! This may have been her fourth time emceeing for us, but she was without a doubt spectacular! Watch it for yourself and see!
CESAR CIELO, Honor Swimmer from Brazil was inducted as the first Honoree of the evening. He gave a heartfelt speech, thanking his parents for always being there for him, which included taking him to all his practices and going to all his meets… even though his events were so short! The life of a sprinter! Even if he was the best in the world! Cesar was inducted by his very first Coach Mario Sobrinho, who he said was with him all the way. Cesar was also accompanied from Brazil by his wife Kelly and his son.
In the world of Synchronized, now Artistic Swimming, the name CHRIS CARVER is known throughout the world and her induction, some say was long overdue. She began coaching in the 1970’s in Northern California and she took her group of 10 and under girls and coached them all the way to the top of the Olympic podium and to the gold medal. Not many coaches can say they did that! And two of those girls, now women, came to her induction Saturday night, ISHOF Honorees themselves, BECKY DYROEN LANCER and JILL SUDDITH SMITH. Chris was inducted by her longtime friend, ISHOF Honoree and Coach, GAIL EMERY.
Like Artistic Swimming, Water Polo is one of the hardest sports to play. But unlike Artistic Swimming, Water Polo only recently became a sport for women and an Olympic sport for women in 2000. Chris Carver may have had the largest number of attendees there to support her, but HEATHER PETRI, easily had the loudest cheering section. Petri is a four-time Olympian, 2000-2012, and her teammates showed their love and support once she got on stage. Petri had friend and fellow teammate Nicolle Payne induct her on Saturday night. Payne was a member of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic team, playing goalkeeper along with Petri.
We’ve seen some the greatest of their sport, but then there is always the favorite. MISSY FRANKLIN couldn’t help but be the favorite with her beautiful smile that lights up a room, her kindness and willingness to stop and say hello, sign an autograph or take a photo. And then she gets in the pool and swims out of her mind. In London, she came away with five medals, four gold and one bronze and grabbed one more four years later in Rio. Missy will always be that girl with that smile. Always the favorite. Missy was inducted by her Dad, Richard Franklin.
STÉPHANE LECAT was inducted this year as our 2023 Honor Open Water Swimmer. Lecat currently leads the French Open Water Team for his country and has been quite successful at it. Of course he had quite the resume himself as a swimmer. Lecat had quite the contingency accompany him from France, about 15 in all. His friend, Pierre Guirard was with him to induct him into ISHOF.
Is he the greatest breaststroker of all-time? One could certainly make that argument! KOSUKE KITAJIMA won back to back double gold medals in 2004 and 2008 in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. Four gold medals. Kitajima was quiet and humble, but smiled and took photos with everyone. He had an interpreter for his speech, yet he seemed to speak English fairly well. 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter breaststroke (and 400 medley relay), Steve Lundquist was on hand to induct Kitajima. Almost as impressive as his back to back golds, was that Kitajima flew all the way into Fort Lauderdale from Tokyo for 24 hours!! He arrived Saturday morning, and departed Sunday morning… Now that’s a feat!
BOB BOWMAN is considered one of the greatest coaches in swimming, ranking right up there with greats, George Haines and Doc Counsilman. Maybe better, who can say. The great thing for Bob’s induction was he was able to be inducted with not only his most successful swimmer, but also the swimmer he is closest with and considers family, Michael Phelps. So, the whole “family” in addition to a host of family and friends were in attendance to support Bowman’s induction into ISHOF. Bob currently coaches at Arizona State University where he has turned the program around to win its first Pac-12 Championship in the school history this past Spring.
MICHAEL PHELPS being inducted with his Coach BOB BOWMAN was great for both of them. This way they could induct one another, as no one could have possibly meant more in their careers. Bob talking about the blended family where Michael’s kids call him Grandpa was a touching note. And everyone got even more more excited when MP announced that Nicole will be adding their fourth boy to the Phelps family soon. In addition to Bob, Michael’s mother Debbie, and wife Nicole, came out to help induct him.
SAM RAMSAMY of Durban, South Africa was inducted on Saturday evening as this year’s Honor Contributor for ISHOF. Ramsamy is the First Vice President for World Aquatics and spent his life working toward the birth of a new South Africa, as well as fighting for the eradication of the color ban in sport, advocating for the selection of teams based on merit and not the color of one’s skin. Ramsamy was also friend to South African leader Nelson Mandela, where he was part of the organizing committee for his inauguration. We were honored to have Sam join us all the way from Durban with his busy schedule. Dale Neuburger, friend and Treasurer of World Aquatics was on hand to induct Mr. Sam Ramsamy.
TRISCHA ZORN has twice as many medals than any other Olympian or Paralympian that has ever competed. Let that sink in for a minute. Yes, that means twice as many as Michael Phelps. Trischa’s first Paralympic Games was in 1980 and she continued competing through 2004. An astounding 24 years! More than her medals though, Trischa is happier with what she has accomplished out of the pool, pushing boundaries and creating firsts for all Paralympians. After college, Trischa attended law school, and she now works for the VA, helping Veterans. And tonight she is the first Paralympian to ever be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Trischa was inducted by her coach, Richard Wolford, and joined by her proud husband, Brian Hudson.
All in all, the 58th annual induction was a great event. If you were not able to attend in person, remember, you can watch it on ESPN+ on demand through the beginning of December.
We want to give a big shout and thank you to all who worked so hard to make this event such a success: The Group from Team Horner, Maria de le Pena, Colby Coppola, Kim Guerrera and their Marketing crew, Edison and Nina Rumbos, Kim Kent, Diane McMillen, Casey McGovern and all the staff at Horner who worked on this. A special thank you to John Lohn who helped with a lot of the writing and proofing, and to Lee Gladstone and Jim Stump for the video work. It turned out fabulous. And especially to our brother, historian and curator, Bruce Wigo, you not only are an amazing historian, but if the sports networks ever see you live, we’re going to lose you for sure!! You did an absolutely fabulous job filling in when Dara was off stage. You definitely missed your calling! Thank you to the ISHOF Board of Directors, including Bill Kent, Mike Dooley, Steve Hasty, David Arluck…..some of you helped in different ways, and we appreciate what you did to help make this event come together. And to all of those who we may have forgotten, thank you for your help in making this weekend a success.
A very special thank you to two men who helped behind the scenes and made things happen and without whom I don’t think this induction would have been as successful as it was. Mike Unger and Alex Blavatnik. Alex, your generosity knows no bounds and I hope one day, you can become a member of the ISHOF Board again. And Mike, your friendship and dedication to the sport of swimming and all of aquatics is something that we all benefit from. Thank you.
Thank you to those of you who donated to the Silent Auction, without you, we would not have a silent auction! We had so many great items this year, thank to so many. Again thank you to everyone at Horner, Maria and her crew, Kim, Diane, Brandi West, Cullen Jones, Mary T., the Atlanta Braves, Matt Lois, and so many others that help make it a success every year!
And lastly, a very special thank you to the City of Fort Lauderdale, to Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Steve Glassman, our partners in aquatics, as well as Laura Voet, the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center Manager. Without the City’s support, we could not do what we do, or move on to the next exciting phase of ISHOF, which we are all looking forward to.
We bid you fairwell, until next Fall; Get your nominations in, so we can make sure your favorite swimmers and other aquatic athletes are on the ISHOF ballot for 2023/2024 and have a chance to be voted on for the ISHOF Class of 2024!
Happy Birthday Laure Manaudou!!
Laure Manaudou (FRA)
Honor Swimmer (2017)
FOR THE RECORD: WORLD RECORD HOLDER 200 and 400m freestyle; 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m freestyle silver (800m freestyle), bronze (100m backstroke); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: participant; 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: participant; 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (400m freestyle); 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m & 400m freestyle), silver (800m freestyle, 100m backstroke), bronze (4×200m freestyle); 2004 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 4×100m medley); 2006 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (400m freestyle, 800 m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m medley), bronze (200m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley); 2008 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (200m backstroke, 4×200 m freestyle), silver (100m backstroke); 2005 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): gold (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 100m backstroke); 2006 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): gold (400 m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 100m backstroke); 2007 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): gold (400m freestyle, 100m backstroke), silver (200m freestyle), bronze (4×50m medley); 2008 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): Rijeka: bronze (100m backstroke); 2012 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (SC): gold (50m backstroke), silver (100m backstroke), bronze (4×50m medley); 2005 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES: gold (400m freestyle, 50m backstroke)
Laure Manaudou was born on October 9, 1986 in Villeurbanne, France. She swam for the club of Ambérieu-en-Bugey, in Ain, from the age of 6 to 14 years old. In 2000, coach Philippe Lucas spotted her and convinced her parents that he would make her a champion. She then left the family nest to join her new coach in Melun, and a year later she won two silver medals at the European Junior Championships in Malta. Everyone started talking about her enormous potential.
In 2003, at the age of 16, Manaudou won her first French national title in the 50m backstroke. The following year she took gold in the five individual events (400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke) at the French Nationals and qualified for her first Olympic team. In Athens, a few months later, she won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle. It was France’s first gold medal ever in women’s swimming and the first swimming gold medal won by a French athlete since Jean Boiteux’s victory in the 400m men’s freestyle event at Helsinki in 1952. Manaudou also won the silver medal in the women’s 800m freestyle and the bronze medal in the women’s 100m backstroke, thus becoming only the second French woman to win three medals in a single Olympic Games, Summer or Winter.
In 2005, she defended her world title in the 400m freestyle at the FINA World Championships. At the French Championships in 2006, she did what many thought was impossible. For eighteen years, women swimmers had been chasing the seemingly untouchable record set by America’s Janet Evans in the 400m freestyle at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. There was reason to believe it would last for eternity, but Laure Manaudou finally broke it and she lowered Evans’ standard again at the European Championship three months later.
She confirmed her status as a favorite to repeat as Olympic champion in Beijing, by winning five medals including two gold, two silver and one bronze at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Shortly thereafter, she signed a sponsorship contract for five years for a sum of money that would be close to one million euros a year. The same year, on May 6, 2007, she decided to part with coach Philippe Lucas to train in Italy.
Manaudou was the star of French swimming and a real hope of multiple medals at Beijing 2008, but by her own admission 2007 was a crazy year as personal issues interfered with her training. After a season where she had four coaches and a loss of motivation, Laure finished a disappointing eighth in the 400m freestyle final and seventh in the 100m backstroke.
She announced her retirement in early 2009, but living in the United States two years later, started training again. Although she qualified for the London Olympic Games in the 100m and 200m backstroke, she failed to advance beyond the preliminaries. She once again announced her retirement and left the international aquatic stage as she started it, after winning the 50m backstroke at the European (SC) Championships in November of 2013.
In 2014, Laure released her autobiography, Entre Les Lignes (Between The Lines). It is a candid, honest account of her life in competitive swimming, with its sacrifices, its ups and downs, her relationships with her brothers, coaches, love life and the challenges she faced dealing with fame at an early age.
Triple Olympic medalist, three-time world champion, 18-time European champion and 58 time champion of France, Laure Manaudou enters the ISHOF as the best female swimmer in French history.
Happy Birthday Terry Schroeder!!
Terry Schroeder (USA)
Honor Water Polo (2002)
FOR THE RECORD: 1979-1992 UNITED STATES NATIONAL WATER POLO TEAM: member; 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES: boycott; 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (1979, 1983, 1987), silver (1991); 1978, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1991 FINA WORLD CUP: gold (1991), silver (1985); WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1981, 1985.
Very rarely will you find an Olympic athlete in one of the roughest Olympic sports who has the easy demeanor and control of emotions as does this captain of three Olympic water polo teams. At 6 feet 3 inches, 210 pounds, he became one of the best players in Olympic history to play the two-meter position, the quarterback of the offense. For over 15 years and 4 Olympic Games, Terry Schroeder was the USA team leader and one of the most revered players in international competition during his career.
He never lost his temper in play. There was not time for that. As the “hole man,” he had to wrestle the heavyweights, take blows and keep focused on the game. That was his strength – to take a beating and hold his own. He was fouled up to 75 times in a game. He had a total of 100 stitches in his face. But he never relented, leading his team to great international achievements.
He started swimming at the Santa Barbara YMCA for coach Ian McPherson. As an age grouper, Terry was nationally ranked in the backstroke, but he liked the dynamics of a team. Swimming didn’t have that. Water polo did. He played water polo in high school at San Marcos High, Santa Barbara, California, where he was a high school All-American. He chose water polo over football, and it seemed to combine skills from all the sports he had played (swimming, passing, throwing, catching, eye-hand coordination), and it was a great team sport. His high school coach Mike Irwin was an inspiration in shaping Terry’s athleticism. At Pepperdine University in California he graduated Magna Cum Laude, Sports Medicine in 1981. He played for veteran coach Rick Rowland and became a three-time All-American. During his sophomore year of 1978, he was asked to join the National Team. National Team coaches Ken Lindgren and Hall of Famer Monte Nitzkowski were inspirational to Terry. He became Team USA’s only four-time Olympian. His 1980 team was dismissed due to the Olympic boycott. He refocused and became the captain of the 1984 team and 1988 team where Team USA won silver medals at both Los Angeles and Seoul. He retired in 1988 but made a comeback in 1990 where he was elected team captain for a third time placing fourth in Barcelona, 1992.
During his career, Schroeder led the National Team to five FINA World Cups winning gold and silver medals, and four Pan American Games winning three golds and a silver medal. On the club level, he played for Industry Hills, Malibu, New York Athletic Club and Harvard, competing seven times on National Championship teams. He was voted National MVP six times and was an All-American fourteen times. He was twice named International Player of the Year and carried the U.S. flag at the 1988 Olympic Closing Ceremony. In 1984, he modeled for sculptor, Robert Graham as the bronze male torso sculpted for the Olympic Gateway at the entrance to the Los Angeles Coliseum at the Olympic Games. This headless figure represents all Olympic athletes.
In 1992 he took second place at the Superstars competition in Cancun, Mexico. In 1986, he graduated Cum Laude from Palmer University as a Doctor of Chiropractic, a third generation family tradition. Terry’s grandfather, father, seven cousins, brother, sister, brother-in-law, wife and other relatives totaling 59 family members are all chiropractors. Since 1986, he has been Pepperdine’s head water polo coach, winning the school’s first NCAA National Championship in 1997.
Terry is a guest lecturer and instructor at chiropractic seminars. He has written chapters in The Spine in Sports by Robert Watkins and Awaken the Olympian Within by John Naber. He has been a television color analyst for water polo on TBS Sports, Prime Network, USA Cable and Bud Sports.
Terry Schroeder, an honor student, honor coach and honor athlete.
Happy Birthday Klaus Dibiasi!!
Klaus Dibiasi (ITA) 1981 Honor Diver
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964 silver (platform); 1968 gold (platform), silver (springboard); 1972 gold (platform); 1976 gold (platform). First diver to win 5 Olympic medals; First and only diver to win the same Olympic title at 3 successive Olympic Games; WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1973 gold (platform), 1973 silver (springboard); 1975 gold (platform), silver (springboard); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1966 gold (platform); 1970 silver (springboard, platform); 1974 gold (springboard, platform); EUROPEAN DIVING CUPS: 1967 gold (platform); 1968 gold (springboard); 1971 gold (springboard, platform); 1973 gold (springboard); 1975 gold (platform); Platform Diver of the Year 9 times.
No other man or woman has won an Olympic diving title in 3 Olympic Games. Klaus Dibiasi very nearly won 4, missing the first of what would have been 4 consecutive 10-meter platform titles by 1.04 points to Bob Webster at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Tall, soft spoken and handsome this Austro-Italian from Bolzano, Italy was king of the tower from 1964 through retirement in 1976. Coached by his father, a former Italian Olympian and National Champion, Klaus succeeded him as National Coach after his third Olympic Gold medal at Montreal in 1976.
Bob Bowman On the Innate Skill Shared by Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan and LeBron James
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
03 October 2023, 05:02am
The Innate Skill Shared by Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan and LeBron James
Ahead of his induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, coach Bob Bowman took a few minutes to sit down with Swimming World and discuss a variety of topics. Among the points covered was the ability of Michael Phelps, a 28-time Olympic medalist, to vividly remember specific races and aspects of his career.
Since heading into retirement following the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Phelps has done some commentary for NBC. While on air, his insights have provided a glimpse into his vast knowledge of the sport, and ability to dissect critical aspects of races. This skill was on display when Frenchman Leon Marchand broke Phelps’ world record in the 400-meter individual medley at last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka.
During the COVID days, Bowman and Phelps had the opportunity to rewatch some of Phelps’ most-iconic Olympic races. Bowman joked that some of the races were more enjoyable to watch than others, such as the final of the 200 butterfly at the 2012 Olympics in London, where South African Chad Le Clos edged Phelps at the finish. Overall, Bowman and Phelps had the chance to take a walk down memory lane.
In the interview with Bowman in Fort Lauderdale, Swimming World publisher Jack Hallahan asked the legendary coach if Phelps’ race recall was similar to how LeBron James can remember the details of basketball games from years ago. Bowman gave a terrific response to the question.
“I think he is definitely a savant,” Bowman said of Phelps. “He is a lot like Michael (Jordan) was, in that he is able to remember specific details, key moments that made a difference. We were watching the 200 individual medley from Rio and Michael says to me, ‘In three strokes, I’m going to breathe and look to see where (Thiago) Pereira is. And that’s what happened.”
In that final of the 200 individual medley, Phelps captured gold in the event for the fourth consecutive Games. The title made him the first athlete in the sport to four-peat.
Stats of 2023 ISHOF Induction Class Are Surreal: 51 Olympic Medals (See Numbers Here)
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A By the Numbers Look at the 2023 International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Class of Just the Swimmers
An exceptional group of athletes was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame this past weekend in Fort Lauderdale. The five swimmers who were enshrined at the 58th annual ceremony represent one of the finest classes in history, headlined by Michael Phelps, the greatest athlete the sport has produced.
Joining Phelps for induction are Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima, the United States’ Missy Franklin, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry and Brazil’s Cesar Cielo. All are Olympic champions with multiple Olympic medals earned during their illustrious careers.
Here is a by-the-numbers look at the five swimmers set for Hall of Fame induction.
This year’s honorees combined to claim 51 Olympic medals, including 35 that were gold. Phelps leads the way with 28 medals while Coventry and Kitajima each secured seven medals in Olympic competition. Franklin won six Olympic medals, including five gold, and Cielo was a three-time Olympic medalist.
From World Championships (long course) competition, the 2023 class tallied 76 medals. Of that total, 49 were gold. Phelps (26) and Franklin (11) each reached double figures for their gold-medal counts.
Between the long-course pool and short-course pool, this fall’s inductees combined to set 55 world records. Individually, the only world record that remains is Cielo’s mark of 20.91 in the 50-meter freestyle, set at the 2009 World Championships.
From the Pan Pacific Championships, this class combined for 35 medals, highlighted by 21 titles.
In total, these honorees have appeared in 18 Olympic Games.
Of the events on the Olympic program, this quintet set at least one world record in every discipline except the 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1500 freestyle.