ISHOF Aquatic Center Makes Front Page News Again!
Sun Sentinel Front Page, Wednesday, September 28, 2022
On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the ISHOF Aquatic Center made the Front page of the Fort Lauderdale local newspaper, the Sun Sentinel. “Back in the Flow – After a 3 year makeover. Fort Lauderdale’s legendary pools by the beach reopen”. It seems everyone, not only the local swimmers, have been waiting for the local Ft. Lauderdale/ISHOF/Hall of Fame Aquatic Center to open. “We’ve had people from all of over the United States, as well as around the world, messaging us monthly weekly, even daily recently, for the last year, asking, “When will the pools reopen?” said ISHOF COO, Laurie Marchwinski. “We get the questions via social media on ISHOF and Swimming World, on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. We are just happy to be able to finally answer, the pool is Open!”
“This is the third time the aquatic center has made the Sun Sentinel’s front page during this project”, said a proud Laura Voet, of the City of Ft. Lauderdale’s Parks and Recreation Department and Manager of the Aquatic Center. Laura has been instrumental in the success of this project since the beginning.
Masters Swimmer, Adrienne Chin-Ogilive, of the Fort Lauderdale Masters Team is pictured in the photo, swimming laps on Tuesday, the 27th of September, 2022. The pools closed in April, 2019 and reopened on September 12, 2022.
Come by for a dip!!!!
ISHOF Induction Ceremony Silent Auction: Great Items Up For Bidding!
SILENT AUCTION
Support the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s online silent auction. Members and friends can find great bargains for some wonderful items. You can start bidding online NOW by clicking Here!
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“The Touch .01”, captures the incredible finish of the men’s 100m butterfly race at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This is a limited edition and numbered museum quality print personally signed by both Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic.
Each photo comes with a certificate of authenticity.
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Great Races: Women’s 100-Meter Backstroke at the 1964 Olympics
Great Races: Women’s 100-Meter Backstroke at the 1964 Olympics
By Dave Bartlett and Brenda Borgh Bartlett
“In one drop of water is found all the secrets of all the oceans.” – Kahlil Gibran
Dedication: We would like to dedicate our article to all female swim coaches over the decades, including one of Brenda’s first coaches, Stephanie Walsh Beilman.
There are many great races. The racers in them are participating in a complex Russian doll structure; a race inside a race inside another. The Tour de France is a composition of races. There is the race to win the “General Classification” – the overall winner; the race to win the stage; the race for the green jersey of the best sprinter; the race for the polka dot jersey for “king of the mountain.” There are races within each race and it goes on for weeks.
In swimming, there is “the race” – usually the final at a prestigious competition. Then there is a set of heats to qualify for the final and possibly preliminaries and semifinals before the final. There can also be races that are similar in stroke but different in distance, so some of the racers get to measure each other. Then there are the virtual races. The most prominent of those is the race for the “world record.”
“A world record!” “She has shattered the world record!” “She has set a new world record.” There is a great deal of hyperventilation surrounding world record swims. We don’t view a world record swim through the lens of a virtual race because it is most often seen as a badge of accomplishment, not a race in itself. Today, in the big televised meets, you see the “world record line” – a computer-generated line added to the picture so the viewer can see where the swimmers are in relation to the current world record.
But what exactly does “breaking the world record” mean? As is the case with most phrases, it means different things to different people. To great racers, it is a virtual race – a way to gauge and understand where your best swims compare to other great racers around the world and over time.
The women’s 100-meter backstroke at the 1964 Olympics was loaded with great racers. The world record had been repeatedly lowered in the months before the 1964 Olympics were held in Tokyo. There were five world-record setters in the race. Four would be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
It should be noted that in the early 1960s, if you broke the world record in any meet other than the Olympic Games, the world record was “pending.” Then at the end of the year, the FINA authorities would review all the times that went below the existing world record mark and decide who had the fastest official time. That would become the “world record.” Therefore, if you broke the world record at nationals, it was considered the “pending world record” not THE “world record.”
History of the Women’s Long Course 100-Meter Backstroke
The women’s 100-meter backstroke made its debut in the 1924 Paris Olympics. The gold medal was awarded to Sybil Bauer from the United States for a time of 1:23.2. It has been an internationally competitive event with gold medalists from the Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain, South Africa and the United States in the subsequent Olympics.
In the early 1960s a new periodical – “Swimming World” – helped get times and results out to the swimming community. In those years, travel was limited and many international swimmers did not compete against each other except through the “pending” world records and the pages of Swimming World Magazine, and hopefully at the Olympic Games. Unlike swimmers today, who know a record has been broken almost instantly, Satoko Tanaka from Japan only heard about record breaking swims in the newspapers. Even then, it was often six months to a year before she got the news.
Photo Courtesy: ISHOF Archives
You can see startling drops in the line chart below. We will be focusing on the early section between 1959 and 1964. However, it is instructive to see the drops from 1973 to 1976 (East German steroid abuse records) and the drops around 2008-09 (tech suit era records). Also note the lack of significant time drops when turn rules were changed and the introduction of the “Berkoff Blastoff” in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Photo Courtesy:
The data points that represent the world record progression above from 1956 to 1964 are detailed below:1956-12-05 Judith Grinham Great Britain 1:12.9 Melbourne, Australia1958-03-12 Phillipa Gould New Zealand 1:12.5 Auckland, New Zealand1958-04-19 Margaret Edwards Great Britain 1:12.4 Cardiff, United Kingdom1958-07-20 Ria van Velsen Netherlands 1:12.3 Nijmegen, Netherlands1958-07-23 Judith Grinham Great Britain 1:11.9 Cardiff, United Kingdom1959-07-26 Ria van Velsen Netherlands 1:11.7 Waalwijk, Netherlands1959-09-06 Carin Cone United States 1:11.4 Chicago, United States1960-06-12 Ria van Velsen Netherlands 1:11.0 Leipzig, East Germany1960-07-10 Ria van Velsen Netherlands 1:10.9 Maastricht, Netherlands1960-07-17 Lynn Burke United States 1:10.1 Indianapolis, United States1960-08-04 Lynn Burke United States 1:10.0 Detroit, United States1960-08-05 Lynn Burke United States 1:09.2 Detroit, United States1960-09-02 Lynn Burke United States 1:09.0 Rome, Italy1963-07-28 Donna DeVarona United States 1:08.9 Los Angeles, United States1964-06-14 Christine Caron France 1:08.6 Paris, France1964-09-28 Virginia Duenkel United States 1:08.3 Los Angeles, United States1964-10-14 Cathy Ferguson United States 1:07.7 Tokyo, Japan
**It should be noted that lost to time and war is a recorded swim of 1:10.9 for the women’s 100-meter backstroke on September 22, 1939 by Dutch Hall of Fame swimmer Cor Kint.
The question to ask is what inspired such outrageous improvement? Nina Harmar Thompson, a member of the 1960 and 1964 Olympic teams, experienced all this improvement:
“I definitely believe that training was the biggest reason for improved times,” she said. “I lived in Philadelphia where there was basically no age group swimming but I was incredibly lucky that my coach, Mary Freeman Kelly, had swum in the 1952 Olympics, then married John B. Kelly, Jr. and founded the Vesper Swim Club. Mary was an amazing coach and studied how other sports were training.”
Cathy Ferguson was just 12 years old when she started training with Peter Daland at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in 1960. She says:
“Peter trained us on dryland, running, pulley weights and stretching,” Ferguson said. “I would do weight training for 45 minutes each day before practice in the winter months. As a result, I had no injuries, as my upper body was conditioned. My dad built me pulley weights in our garage and I continued to do weights throughout the year. I trained with the men’s team and a couple of the really accomplished girls.”
Satoko Tanaka, the 200-meter backstroke world-record holder, believes it was training:
“We used ‘image’ training (visualization) and ‘interval’ training in the late ’50s and the results were remarkable,” she said. “Later, we made our own dryland ‘tools’ out of ropes and pulleys and bicycle inner tube rubber. Initially, it didn’t seem to do anything and I have no proof it worked. But I think it helped my 100-meter race.”
Great women racers were no longer treated differently. If they could keep up they swam with the men. As Ferguson explains: “Peter was motivating in an unusual way. He mathematically analyzed (I used an actual formula) every swim with me. I could see the translation from workout times to performance times. I also was a member of his ‘Horse Team.’ These were swimmers who did the distance training. We worked out an extra hour before others arrived. I swam in the same lane as Murray Rose, the great Aussie! I learned so much about pacing from him. In the backstroke I learned from Bob Bennett (1964 Olympic backstroker) and Chuck Bittick (1960 Olympian). Therefore, I had great mentors in the pool.”
Leading up to the Summer of 1964
Dominating the backstroke in the 1960 Olympics was Lynn Burke. She lowered the world record nearly two seconds from 1:10.9 to 1:09.0. She held that record until 1963.
Going into the summer of 1964, the world record in the women’s 100 backstroke was held by Donna DeVarona. She broke Burke’s 3-year-old record from the Rome Olympics in 1960. Donna set the record on July 28, 1963 in Los Angeles with a time of 1:08.9. (Donna DeVarona was better known for her dominance of the IM events where she held world records in the 200 and 400 but her backstroke was world class).
In the early 1960s, the number of events at the Olympics was limited. For example, in the individual freestyle events, the men had three (100, 400, 1500 meters) and women had two (100 and 400 meters). In the backstroke, the men had a 200-meter race and women had a 100-meter race. However, world records were kept for many of the events that were not Olympic events like the men’s 100-meter backstroke and the women’s 200-meter backstroke. This would change in the 1968 Mexico Olympics as a full slate of events was implemented for both men and women.
In the early 1960s, the women’s 200-meter backstroke had been dominated by Satoko Tanaka. Amazingly, Satoko lowered the world record by over five seconds in eight swims between 1960 and 1963. Although she was the world leader in the 200, she never set the world record in the 100 meters. However, swimming in the Olympics in her native Japan was sure to give her motivation. Christine “Kiki” Caron got the world record parade going by setting a new world record of 1:08.6 at the French Olympic Trials on June 6, 1964.
Christine Caron and Cathy Ferguson. Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Archives
The Venue
The swimming venue for the Tokyo Olympics was the National Gymnasium. It had a spectator capacity of 11,112 for swimming and diving. It was brand new. It is still in use today and will hopefully host the Olympic handball competitions next year at the 2020ne Olympics in Tokyo. Caron remembers the 1964 Olympic swimming venue as “like a cathedral” – an impressive statement from one who grew up in Paris.
In 1964, the Tokyo pool was state of the art technology. The gutter system was designed to whisk away waves and not send them ricocheting back at the swimmers. The gutters and new lane line technology to replace the common “ropes and corks” seen in most of the pools in those years was a vast improvement.
The Tokyo Olympic swimming venue introduced another technology that we now take for granted – electronic timing. This meet was the first time that electronic timing was used in the Olympic swimming venue – however it was not official. There were sight judges, timers and button pushers on each lane. The electronic timing was only at the start/finish end and there were no split times at the 50-meter turn.
The Preliminaries
Cathy Ferguson. Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Archive
There were four heats of the women’s 100 meter backstroke late in the morning of Wednesday, October 14, 1964. In an odd twist, most qualifiers for the final came from the first heat – Harmar (1:09.8), Tanaka (1:10.0) and Linda Ludgrove (1:10.3) from Great Britain. Heat 2 had two qualifiers: current “pending” world record holder Ginny Duenkel set a new Olympic record at 1:08.9 and Eileen Weir (1:09.7) of Canada. Heat 3 had only one qualifier – Ferguson, who topped Duenkel’s Olympic record with a 1:08.8; she won her heat by three seconds. The fourth and last heat had Caron of France set the fastest time in the preliminaries with yet another new Olympic record with a time of 1:08.5. Jill Norfolk (1:10.6) from Great Britain became the final swimmer to grab a spot in the Olympic final.
Failing to make the final was Ria van Velson of the Netherlands. Van Velson had broken the world record four times in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She last set the record at 1:10.9 going into the 1960 Rome Olympics where she made the final and finished in seventh place.
Four preliminary heats were completed and the last three heats each produced a new Olympic record eclipsing the previous heat. All the racers preparing for the final knew it would take a world record to win the 1964 Olympic gold medal in the women’s 100-meter backstroke.
The 1964 Olympic finals were set:Lane 1: Linda Ludgrove (GB)Lane 2: Nina Harmar (USA)Lane 3: Ginny Duenkel (USA)Lane 4: Kiki Caron (FRA)Lane 5: Cathy Ferguson (USA)Lane 6: Eileen Weir (CAN)Lane 7: Satoko Tanaka (JPN)Lane 8: Jill Norfolk (GB)
The Race
The finals were in the evening. Lanes 3, 5, 4 had each set an Olympic record in successive heats. Lane 2 (Nina Harmar) and Lane 7 (Satoko Tanaka) had each competed in the 1960 Olympics in the 100 backstroke. There were four swimmers from North America, three from Europe and one from Asia. Four swimmers wore the heavy rubber caps of the day and the other four had short hair with no cap.
The Start
The blocks were heavy concrete slabs with a slight indentation for the backstroke start bar which was aligned with the end of the pool. The touchpads did not pose any problems for the start and actually created a better gripping surface than would have been the case with the concrete wall.
The gun sounded, and the start was clean across the pool. A great race was off.
First Lap
Speed! That is always the goal of a 100-meter race. In this race it was critical. Kiki Caron was FAST and her first 50 was always fast. Seeded first, everyone had some of their focus tuned to her. The goal of the other two Olympic record breakers was not to let her get away, to keep her close. Cathy Ferguson and Satoko Tanaka were considered better at the 200-meter race. They had to increase their turnover and try to stay with Caron.
The first 50 was a drag race to the turn. “Stay in the race” and “Don’t let her get away,” those were the goals. For Kiki Caron the goal was to get away, to explode away from the field. In backstroke if you get far enough in front you can see your competitors but they cannot see you. Approaching the wall, the race was still close. Now, they had to focus on the turn. A backstroke turn in 1964 was always a make or break moment in a race.
The Turn
It is difficult to overstate how important the turn was in a backstroke race before they changed the turn rules. The rules in races during 1964 stated that a racer had to touch the wall with their hand before changing directions while remaining on their back. It was done with a spin as the racer touched with a hand, then would rotate to place their feet on the wall.
The best racers all knew that in order to be consistently fast they had to be capable of touching and spinning with either hand. Cathy Ferguson has a great story about learning to turn with both hands:
“Peter and my dad kept telling me I needed to practice left handed turns in case I hit the wall with my left hand. In my first National Championships in Philadelphia (Nina’s home pool). I hit the wall left handed and really had difficulty getting off the wall. I failed to qualify for the finals by a tenth of a second. This was one of the greatest lessons in my life. BE PREPARED! So for the next three years I practiced left handed flip turns for 45 minutes every night before practice. The goal was to take the turn without looking. In the Olympic Games I judged I would hit the wall with the left hand and I didn’t have to worry about it.”
From the race video, you can see Kiki Caron get to the wall first but only by an instant. Both Cathy Ferguson and Ginny Duenkel were right with her. Kiki took a couple looks at the wall while Cathy drove to the wall without looking and kept her stroke turnover constant. They turned and came out even with Ginny Duenkel a fraction behind. Satoko Tanaka always turned on her right hand – she felt she had a good turn but knew a strong second lap was her only chance to get a top three finish.
Second Lap
What do great racers do on the last lap? They keep or increase their tempo. When every fiber and nerve in their bodies burns they keep going and often increase their tempo. That comes from training, lots of training.
Cathy Ferguson. Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Archive
The women’s 100-meter backstroke last lap at the 1964 Olympics was a 50-meter drag race between Ginny Duenkel in Lane 3, Kiki Caron in Lane 4 and Cathy Ferguson in Lane 5. The three Olympic record breakers were out to break more records. Backstroke racers look at where they have been but are focused on where they are going. Good backstroke racers keep their head steady and their eyes up. They don’t look around but they sense where their competitors are and their own place in the race. Each of these three knew they had a chance. As Cathy Ferguson explains:
“Caron was ahead of me slightly before the 50-meter turn and I came off even. Kiki swam a fast first 50 always. I knew if I could be even with her at the 75-meter mark, I could pull it out. I said a quick prayer, ‘Please God, help this to be the fastest race of my life.’”
At the 75, the racers were even and Satoko Tanaka was about half a body length behind. Satoko’s position left her in a difficult position to see the fight going on in Lanes 3, 4 and 5 – where they were dead even! The racers knew the stakes; they knew they were in position – each needing to push through the final 25 meters to the wall.
From the 75-meter mark to the flags Cathy Ferguson’s tempo took over and in the 10 strokes from the 75-meter mark she gathered half a head lead. Kiki Caron did her best to stay with her. Ginny Duenkel’s tempo didn’t keep pace with the other two. Out in Lane 7, Satoko Tanaka was having the best second lap of all the racers. The 200-meter record holder was powering into the finish.
Finish
Great racers finish. Under the flags and into the wall these Olympians powered to the wall. Watching the video, it seems as if the place order changed with each stroke. It was a tight finish and easier to judge the finish from the sides or a video than if you were in the pool. The racers hit the wall and it was too close for any of them to sense how they placed. Cathy remembers the touch pads needed to be taken into account on the finish:
“The pads did need to be adapted as they were too short and a person driving toward the finish might miss the touch pad because they touched deeper. This was especially true for backstrokers. I dove back for the finish and touched low on the wall.”
Nina Harmar remembers some sketchy finishes in the Rome Olympics:
“I remember in Rome all timing and judging was done by humans and there were often controversial finishes and often the winner’s time was a tenth of a second or two slower that the runner-up.”
Satoko Tanaka was happy she did her best time:
“I was 22 years old at the Tokyo Olympics, the others were teenagers. I didn’t think I had a chance to win. I simply wanted to do my best time. I did that and I broke the existing world record. I have always been happy with my effort, my time and my place. It was my last swim as a competitor.”
Post-Race
All this new technology was available and all these people standing around yet nobody knew the exact the order of the finish? It is hard to believe with today’s instant results but that is how it unfolded in 1964.
Kiki Caron remembers:
“At the end of the race my coach Miss Berlioux, shows me two fingers, to announce the silver medal. When she came to swim the nationals in 65, she took benefit of the Olympics experience and beat Ferguson. I thought It was the lack of world class experience which I needed in 64 to win the gold.”
Cathy Ferguson explains what went on after the finish:
“1964 was the first-year electronic timing was used but it was not official. There were sight judges, timers and button pushers on each lane. It was not like now when you can see your time immediately and you know the results immediately. I did not know I had won until they announced the winners. Peter Daland (was our Olympic Team Coach as well) had his own time so told me just prior to the announcement.”
The Results
Gold: Cathy Ferguson (WR) – 1:07.7Silver: Kiki Caron – 1:07.9Bronze: Ginny Duenkel – 1:08.0Fourth: Satoko Tanaka – 1:08.6Fifth: Nina Harmar – 1:09.4Sixth: Linda Ludgrove – 1:09.5Seventh: Eileen Weir – 1:09.7Eighth: Jill Norfolk – 1:11.2
Conclusion
There is something raw and elemental about great racers. They just love to race. Kiki Caron came to the U.S. and beat Cathy Ferguson in the 1965 U.S. Nationals. The next year in 1966, Cathy went to France and discovered how famous Kiki was in France. Although this time, Cathy won the race. Kiki says “It was a “yè yè” time and we went shopping, dancing in trendy clubs like two chums.”
These great racers all intersected in one race but their impact was to set the stage for generations of women swimmers to come. Dr. Cathy Ferguson went on to earn a doctorate in Education Administration. Satoko Tanaka has taught swimming to over 100,000 asthmatic children over the last thirty years and she firmly believes the 2020ne Olympics Games in Tokyo will take place. Christine “Kiki” Caron went on to become the first woman from a European country to carry her nation’s flag in the opening ceremonies of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. All these great racers went on to carry the flag of opportunity for future generations – the great race we all compete in.
Notes:
We highly recommend a wonderful website by Martin Osborne at the University of Toronto – (https://mjo.osborne.economics.utoronto.ca/index.php/swim). He has pulled together much of FINA’s world record data points and it provides a graphical view of the progression of swimming’s world records over the years. For a detailed description of his work see his notes section. We will use Martin’s data to highlight the details of the women’s long course 100-meter backstroke world record progressionYes, “yè yè” is a term – see this Wikipedia entry. In short, it is pronounced “yeah yeah” and is a style of pop-music that emerged in southern Europe in the early 1960’s. It was heavily influenced by the Beatles.
Thank you
The authors wish to thank the great racers who contributed generously to this article – Christine “Kiki” Caron, Cathy Ferguson, Nina Harmar Thompson and Satoko Tanaka. The contributions from Christine Caron would not have been possible without the translation skills of Nicolas Granger and the comments from Satoko Tanaka would not have been possible with the help of Akira Isahai.Written by Brenda Borgh Bartlett and David Bartlett, who reside in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
If you have an idea for a ‘Great Race’ please contact them at greatswimraces@gmail.com.
Great Races in History: When Jon Sieben Shot Down The Albatross For Olympic Gold
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Great Races in History: When Jon Sieben Shot Down The Albatross For Olympic Gold
As part of our dedication to the history of the sport and iconic moments, Swimming World has been presenting its readership with looks at great races from the past. The latest installment looks at the final of the 200-meter butterfly at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In that race, Australian Jon Sieben, set to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame next month, pulled off one of the biggest upsets the sport has seen.
Heading into the Olympics, which featured a retaliatory boycott by the Eastern Bloc countries over the United States’ boycott of the 1980 Games in Moscow, West Germany’s Michael Gross was the heavy favorite to capture the gold medal. Known as “The Albatross” for his seven-foot wingspan, Gross was the world-record holder and reigning world champion.
Jon Sieben on the podium during the 1984 Olympics Photo Courtesy: Jon Sieben
For the majority of the race, it appeared as if Gross would corral the gold medal, as he built a sizable lead and was in command. Gross was in front at each of the turns and held a margin of 1:26.01 to 1:27.80 over Sieben at the 150-meter mark. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Rafael Vidal was second with a lap to go and was nearly a second ahead of Sieben.
As the final headed into the last lap, Sieben was an afterthought, ignored by the announcing team – which included Mark Spitz – calling the race. As the last 50 meters unfolded, and his competitors tightened up, Sieben stayed strong and consistently reduced his deficit. As the wall neared, Gross was clearly struggling and Sieben managed to nail the finish, producing a world-record time of 1:57.04. That effort not only sliced .01 off Gross’ global standard, it enabled Sieben to easily out-touch the German, who was timed in 1:57.40.
Sieben dropped a split of 29.24 for the final 50 meters, a mark that was more than two seconds clear of the 31.39 of Gross. Sieben was also more than a second faster than Vidal, who ended up capturing the bronze medal.
For Sieben, the victory was a career-defining moment, the culmination of the work he put in under coach Laurie Lawrence. Racing in Lane Six, Sieben paved the way for another upset by a Lawrence-coached Aussie. Four years later, while also racing in Lane Six, Duncan Armstrong bested a star-studded field in the 200 freestyle. That race saw Armstrong defeat the likes of Matt Biondi and Gross.
Beloved ISHOF Staff Member and Grand Dame Marion Washburn passes away at age 94
It was a sad day at ISHOF when we learned that Marion Washburn, aka “Marion the Librarian” (1928-2022) passed away Monday at her home in Wilton Manors, Florida. She was 94 years of age. Marion “wore many hats” during her years at ISHOF and saw many of its changes. From as far back as anyone can remember, Marion was always a part of ISHOF. Her kind, smiling face was always there to greet you ~ whether she was in the library, ready to help you find a book, and she always knew where it was ~ unless, of course, Buck had “borrowed it.” You could find her balancing ISHOF books (no easy task for a non-profit) or behind the counter selling souvenirs, as we still call them after 50 years. Marion was always there to help, and she was always happy to do it.
When her son Bruce became an age group swimmer at the Casino Pool on Fort Lauderdale Beach more than 42 years ago, Marion became an active parent involved in competitive swimming, with the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame Dames. To the very end, Marion was one of ISHOF’s most loyal supporters.
Marion began working with Bruce’s age group coach, mainly as the parent liaison, providing information to the parents regarding swim meet dates, times, and schedules. She collected meet entry fees and was a timer at meets, whether age group or senior. Soon, she became the Vice President of the Fort Lauderdale Swim Association, also known as the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team, and later became the Meet Manager of the prestigious Pine Crest Woodson Invitational Swimming Meet. In the late 1960s, she joined the Hall of Fame Dames, the premier women’s volunteer service organization of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. During her years with the Dames, Marion served as Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for most of her years. She took on the role of ticket seller at the first of many International Diving Meets held annually in May. After noticing the efficiency and reliability of Marion’s work ethic, ISHOF Executive Director Buck Dawson soon hired her to be on the staff of the Hall of Fame, a position she held for 21 years or more.
Marion had many roles during her years at ISHOF. She was the Librarian, responsible for maintaining books, publications, and information research. She served as the Bookstore and Souvenir Department Manager, stocking the shelves and selling the items to the public. She also served as the Office Manager, responsible for maintaining the office equipment and supplies. She served as the ISHOF Bookkeeper, responsible for keeping the financial ledgers in order.
During her 21 years on the staff of ISHOF, Marion contributed countless hours of volunteer service as a Hall of Fame Dame. After her retirement in 1994, she agreed to serve on the Henning Library Advisory Board and then Henning at the International Swimming Hall of Fame for another nine years. In the late 2000s, Marion returned to ISHOF, specifically The Henning, one to two days per week as the main librarian to keep it in proper operating order. In many cases, she had no problem putting in the extra time.
Marion has proved that one person can do many things well. ISHOF and the Hall of Fame Dames were so fortunate to have had her contribute much of her time. You would be hard-pressed to find another more honest, reliable, dependable, and certainly more loved employee than Marion Washburn. Marion, the Librarian, you will be missed more than you will ever know. RIP, dear friend.
The 2022 ISHOF Honoree Ceremony Weekend Silent Auction is Open and Ready for Bidding!
The International Swimming Hall of Fame 2022 Induction Weekend Silent Auction is now open! New items are being added every week. The auction is open until October 15th, 2022.Click the button below to bid on amazing auction items such as hotel stays, getaways, restaurant gift cards, entertainment options, sports memorabilia, and much, much more!
The ISHOF 2022 Honoree Induction Weekend Silent Auction is underway and has all types of items for all walks of life. And you don’t have to be a swim fan to bid! We have hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, trips, attraction tickets, autographed sports memorabilia…..and so much more!
Plan ahead for Christmas and shop now for that special someone! You’ll be a hero, if you are lucky enough to win one of our fabulous items, all while knowing you’re supporting the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
And please be sure to check back regularly. We will be adding new and exciting items daily, all the way through and up to the Honoree Induction weekend, October 14-15, 2022.
If you have not made your plans to attend the Induction of the Class of 2022, click here to learn more.
2022 ISHOF Honoree Ceremony is just around the corner, do you have your tickets yet?
2022 ISHOF Honoree Ceremony Weekend
The 57th Annual ISHOF Honoree Induction weekend will be held Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Make your plans now to attend! The Class of 2022 will include a star-studded class of 11 Honorees from six countries. Some of our Honorees this year are international Honorees that were originally part of the Class of 2020 but were unable to travel to the U.S. because of Covid, until now. In addition, we have three stellar U.S. Honorees joining this class. Read about all the Honorees below.
In addition to the ISHOF ceremony, the International Swimming Hall of Fame is proud to announce that it will be including MISHOF’s prestigious Class of 2022 to its Saturday evening Induction program. This year Master’s Class will include seven honorees from four countries: Four swimmers, one water polo player, one synchronized swimmer, and one contributor.
The Induction weekend will begin on Friday evening, October 14, 2022 and will celebrate the Paragon Award winners, which typically honor six stellar aquatic men and women from the following categories: competitive swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, recreational swimming and aquatic safety. This year’s class has individuals that have dedicated their lives to aquatics, and we look forward to honoring them.
The ISHOF Specialty Awards honored on Friday evening, along with the Paragon Awards, include: The Buck Dawson Authors Award, is named after our beloved founder and author, William F. Dawson. In addition, we have The Virginia Hunt Newman Award, The John K. Williams Jr. Adaptive Aquatics Award, The Judge G. Harold Martin Award, The ISHOF Service Award, and others. It should be an exciting evening as we pay tribute to these individuals who will also be honored.
To read a little about each Honoree or award winner, see below.
2022 ISHOF Honorees:
Craig Beardsley (USA) Honor Swimmer: World record-holder in the 200-meter butterfly for three years in the early 1980s; gold medalist in his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly, at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that was boycotted by the U.S. Olympic Committee; He set a world record of 1:58.21 in the 200-meter butterfly on July 30, 1980, just one week after the Olympic Games—a time that was over a second faster than Soviet swimmer Sergey Fesenko‘ who won the gold medal in Moscow at the 1980 Olympic finals.
Natalie Coughlin (USA) Honor Swimmer: Natalie Coughlinis a three-time Olympian and twelve-time Olympic medalist (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze). First woman to swim the 100-meter backstroke in under one minute in 2002. She achieved that milestone at the International Swimming Hall of Fame Aquatic Center during the U.S. Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Natalie became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad and the first woman ever to win gold in the 100-meter backstroke in two consecutive Olympic games. She competed in her third and final Olympic Games in London in 2012, where she earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Michael Klim (AUS) Honor Swimmer: Klim has been called the best relay swimmer ever. He is a three-time Olympian, multi-time world champion and 21-time world record holder. He was a member of each of Australia’s three relay teams, winning gold in the 4×200m freestyle relay and the 4×100m medley relay, and a silver in the 4×100m freestyle relay. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Klim set a world record (48.18) leading off the 4×100m freestyle relay, which paved the way for a world record (3:13.67), beating the Americans in this event for the first time in Olympic history. Three days later, he was part of the 4×200m freestyle relay, which set another world record (7:07.05), which left the opposition over 5 seconds in arrears on its way to victory.
Jon Sieben (AUS) Honor Swimmer: Set the world record (1:57.04) in the 200m butterfly in the major upset of the 1984 Olympic Games; he then swam through two more Olympic cycles, 1988, Seoul and 1992 Barcelona, making him the first Aussie to do so since Dawn Fraser had done it in 1956, 1960 and 1964; 16 Long Course National Championships and 11 Open National Championships; As an NCAA swimmer, he won silver in the 200m butterfly and bronze in the 100-meter butterfly; Not only was Sieben an Olympic caliber swimmer, but in 2005 and 2009, he competed for Australia in the Universiade Games in the sport of water polo and in 2009, the team took gold.
Daichi Suzuki (JPN) Honor Swimmer: Suzuki was the Olympic gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games in the 100m backstroke, as well as a Japanese National Champion in the 100m Backstroke; Upon retirement, Suzuki stayed involved in swimming, sitting on the board of Japan’s Anti-Doping Agency, as well as serving on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee; He was eventually selected as President of the Japan Swimming Federation, and more recently was named to head Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Marilyn Bell (CAN) Honor Open Water Swimmer: She swam across Lake Ontario when she learned Florence Chadwick was being offered a $10,000 purse to complete the swim – Bell wanted the honor to go to a Canadian swimmer. Three swimmers showed up, and Bell was the only one who finished the 20-hour, 59 minutes swim that had 5-foot waves and lamprey eels. As a result of the victory, the Canadian Press named her the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year in 1954; At the time, she was the youngest person to swim the English Channel and later she swam the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the Pacific coast – her woman’s speed record held for more than 60 years! Bell became a Canadian hero.
Matthew Mitcham (AUS): Honor Diver: Mitcham received the highest single-dive score recorded in Olympic history at the 2008 Games ~ Beijing (two-and-one-half somersault with two-and-one-half twists/pike position); Olympic gold medalist on the 10-meter platform in 2008; first Australian to win Olympic gold in diving since Dick Eve in 1924; 2009 World Championship bronze medalist, 1-meter; 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, 1-meter, synchro 3-meter, 10 meter and synchro 10-meter; and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, gold in the synchro 10-meter platform event and silver in the 1-meter and synchro 3-meter events.
Ursula Carlile (AUS) – Honor Coach: In the 1970’s, the husband-and-wife team of Ursula and Forbes Carlile made frequent periodic visits to the People’s Republic of China, working with China’s top coaches and national team. In 1972, Ursula became Australia’s first female Olympic swimming coach, when selected as assistant coach to Don Talbotfor the 1972 Munich Games; Served as assistant to Terry Gathercole at the 1973 World Championships in Cali, Colombia; and in 1974, Ursula was selected as Australia’s first female Head Coach for the Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch, New Zealand. In yet another sterling accomplishment, during the 1970’s and 1980’s, she and Forbes coached five Olympians – all of them world record-holders: Karen Moras, Shane Gould, Jenny Turrall, Gail Nealand John Bennett.
Peter Hürzeler (SUI) – Honor Contributor; Peter Hürzeler is considered the Master of Swiss timekeeping technology: Swiss Timing; Since 1969, his organizational and creative skills have successfully delivered innovation, technology and timekeeping to the sport of swimming. Throughout the decades, he and his colleagues have invented and created many innovations in the aquatic disciplines, as well other sports. What he has done in sports and technology in swimming, no one else has ever achieved. Since 1970, Hürzeler has spent 3,708 days on the road, engaged in sports timekeeping, which includes 17 editions of the Olympic Games, 36 Continental Games, 19 World Championships, 23 European Championships and over 300 athletics meetings.
Carol Zaleski (USA) Honor Contributor: Zaleski has been in the center of quite a few firsts. She was the first female chairperson of the FINA Technical Swimming Committee and was the first female President of the United States Aquatic Sports. She served as President of USA Swimming for an unprecedented four terms, was the first female referee both at a FINA World Championships and an Olympic Games. And finally, she was the first female to be named deck referee at an Olympic Games in Beijing, 2008.
Mirko Vicevic (YUG/MON) Honor Water Polo Player: Vicevic has won gold at every major event on the water polo world stage; the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the FINA World Cup. His original club was Primorac of Kotor, Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), where he played from 1982 to 1989. After that, he played for several teams, Jadran, in Split, Croatia, Savona (Italy) Barcelona (Spain) Brixia (Brescia, Italy) and Pro Recco (Italy). Vicevic won the LEN Trophy for the years 2002, 2003 and 2006 with his club Brixia, and was selected as Best Sportsman of the Municipality of Kotor in 1986, 1988 & 1989 and Best Sportsman in Montenegro in 1988.
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) is a division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) with Inductions scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2022
2022 MISHOF Honorees:
Doris Steadman* (USA) Honor Masters Swimmer: Doris Steadman didn’t begin swimming Masters until four decades after she swam in college at Temple University. But by the time she was done, she set a total of 33 Masters World Records, some stood for as long as 11 years before being broken. She was in the Top Ten 190 times and of and she had 23 All-American Titles. She only attended one FINA World Championship but won all gold medals in the events she entered.
Dr. Jane Katz (USA) Honor Masters Contributor: Dr. Jane Katz has served the world of swimming in so many capacities. In 2000, Katz was awarded the FINA Certificate of Merit to honor her “dedication and contributions to the development” of the sport of swimming. As a member of the U.S. synchronized swimming team that performed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, Jane helped synchronized swimming become a sport at the Olympic level. She is an All-American and World Champion Masters Swimmer in competitive swimming, long distance swimming, and synchronized swimming. She has published numerous aquatic related books through the years, as well as DVDs, that range from water fitness to synchronized swimming.
Birte Hohlstein-Janssen (GER) Masters Artistic Swimming: Birte and her sister Silke, inducted in 2017, have been loyal Masters synchronized swimmers. Birte has attended 11 FINA Masters World Championships since 1994 and has won at least one gold or silver medal in 10 of the 11 meets. This success comes despite being hampered by the fact that there is no Masters team in her region. So, she and Silke have been limited to only doing solo and duet, except when they briefly joined a team based in Berlin. This brought them the gold medal in team, as well as duet, at the 1998 FINA Worlds in Casablanca, Morocco. Imagine if they had a team in their region?
Edith Bohm (GER) Honor Masters Swimmer: Since 1986, Edith Bohm has been in the Top Ten 22 times until 2008 when she competed in her last swim meet in Bavaria. She set 15 long course and 13 short course FINA Masters World Records in the breaststroke, one of them lasting seven years. Bohm has competed in seven FINA Masters World Championships between 1986 and 2004 winning a total of 29 medals, 18 of them gold. She is now 95 years old and lives in Munich where she still trains twice a week.
Olga Kokorina* (RUS) Honor Masters Swimmer: Russia’s Olga Kokorina, born November 1, 1923, was a swimmer her entire life but did not start swimming Masters until 1998, when she was already 75 years old. She broke world records in almost every competition she entered. She then decided to risk it all and flew to the USA using all her money to take part in the World Masters Games in Portland, Oregon where she won three gold medals and established a world record in the 100m breaststroke. The next year at the European Championship in Innsbruck she broke two world records and won two golds. Her last recorded races were in 2015 where she swam in the 90-94 age group at the Russian Masters cup. In her 17 years in Masters swimming she broke 34 world records and won more than 50 gold medals. Olga Kokorina passed away in January of this year at the age of 98.
Shigehisha Sekikawa (JPN) Honor Masters Swimmer: Since 1991, Shigehisa Sekikawa has been in the Top Ten world rankings 24 times. He has set 14 long course and 17 short course FINA backstroke Masters World Records. His 1998 200m backstroke short course world record in the 65 to 70 age group stood for 7 years. He has not competed in any FINA Masters World Championships he accumulated his points by swimming world records and world rankings. He last competed in 2015.
Guenther Wolf (GER) Honor Masters Water Polo Player Günter Wolf was a five-time German National Champion with a team called SV 05 Würzburg. Wolf played 131 matches for the German National Team between 1969 and 1976 and took part in the 1972 (4th) and 1976 (6th) Olympic Games. From 2000 until now he has been involved with Masters Water Polo. With his team SC Duesseldorf, he has participated in eight FINA Masters World Championships, winning five gold, two silver and one bronze. In the LEN European Championships his team won three gold and two silver and more than 30 German National Championships.
*deceased
2022 Paragon Awards
Ellaine Cox – Competitive Swimming
Ellaine Cox volunteered for Indiana Swimming and progressed from representative for the monthly meetings for the Michiana Marlins (South Bend) to Age Group Chairman, Administrative Vice Chairman, Indiana Swimming and finally as a member of the Board of Directors. Eventually, Ellaine was asked to attend the annual United States Aquatic Sports convention, representing Indiana Swimming. She also served on the USA Swimming Site Selection/Facilities Committee for a number of years;chaired the Awards Committee for USA Swimming and eventually agreed and served as Chair until 2020 when several committee responsibilities were taken in-house by USA Swimming for staff members to manage.
But it wasn’t until 1998, that all of aquatics saw Ellaine’s real talents, when she was asked to become the Convention coordinator for the United States Aquatic Sports. She put together the most amazing group of special friends, as she called them, and they became one of the most successful convention groups in USAS history. As a team, they generated one million dollars in profit for USAS.
Julie Ahlering – Diving
St. Louis native, Julie (Capps) Ahlering was a four-time All-American Diver and Scholar Athlete for the University of Miami. She was a finalist in over 25 national diving events including the Olympic Diving Trials. After college she returned to St. Louis and raised four sons, but diving was not at all forgotten. She was asked to become a FINA Certified Diving Judge and help provide needed expertise in the sport. In 2010 she became FINA certified and immediately became known as one of the best diving officials in the United States. She judged ten NCAA, ACC, PAC-12 Championships as well as three Olympic Diving Trials. Ahlering soon became among the most respected international Diving judges in the World, judging FINA World Cups, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and she represented the United States as their Olympic Judge in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Margaret MacLennan – Artistic (Synchronized) Swimming
Margaret MacLennan was the first female to be named as a member to the FINA Bureau (now FINA TSSC) in 1988 after she decided that synchronized swimming needed a presence. It was her passion and her valuable skills that not only earned her a seat on the Bureau but allowed her to influence the advancement of FINA rules for synchronized swimming. Her political astuteness and diplomacy elevated the credibility and interest of synchronized swimming in a field of male-dominated aquatic sports. She worked tirelessly and consistently with the Bureau during her tenure and was well respected by her peers.
She began as a long-time judge and volunteer in BC Synchro before she became involved in the sport at the international level as a member of the formerly named FINA TSSC (Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee), from 1984 to 1988. Margaret lobbied long and strong with her cohorts to bring Synchronized Swimming to the world stage as part of the Olympic Games, as well as working with FINA to elevate the sport. She served as the Technical Delegate for Synchro at the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia and officiated at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Games as well.
Al Beaird – Water Polo
For 24 years, Al Beaird served as Executive Director for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). He was the first Executive Director chosen in 1992, when the MPSF was created and established to serve the competitive needs of member institutions from the Big West, Pacific-10 (now the Pac-12) and Western Athletic Conferences, as well as other selected universities in the western United States; and to provide championships competition for Division I intercollegiate Olympic sports in a conference setting. The founding principles on which the MPSF was originally formed were to provide enhanced competition and championship opportunities for sports without conference affiliation; to contain the costs of competition; and to ensure the survival of endangered sports.
Kent Williams, PPOA – Recreational Swimming
Kent Williams literally wrote the book on swimming pool operations. He personally developed he program and wrote the textbook for the National Recreational Pool Association’s Aquatic Facility Operator’s program, starting in 1991 and he went on to continue to help shape the educational pool operational process. In addition, he founded and operated the PPOA, the Professional Pool Operators of America, to promote professionalism and recognition of swimming pool operators.
J. Arturo Abraldes, Ph. D. – Aquatic Safety
Dr. Arturo Abraldes is a fine example of a person that successfully mixes theory and practice in water safety, both national and internationally. He has served in the field of lifesaving as an academic, author, researcher, lifeguard, instructor, sport coach, journal editor and conference facilitator for the last 25 years. His qualifications are both academic and vocational. He received a Master’s degree on Physical Education, Sport and Health Education and a Ph D in Physical Education with a thesis on lifesaving. He holds 14 certifications in swimming, lifesaving, first aid, lifeguarding, instructor, coach, referee, and national assessor from seven organizations. And with over 180 publications, Arturo is one of the most prolific water safety authors in the world. He has co-authored over 20 lifesaving related books, numerous educational DVDs, and has been a speaker at national and international conferences.
ISHOF Specialty Awards
Michael Loynd (USA) – Buck Dawson Authors Award: The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man’s Fight to Capture Olympic Gold: Michael Loynd is chairman of the St. Louis Olympic Committee, a representative on the International Olympic Committee’s World Union of Olympic Cities, a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians, and a sports attorney and lecturer. He is the author of All Things Irish: A Novel, and now, The Waterman: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man’s Fight to Capture Olympic Gold, the story of ISHOF Honoree, Charlie Daniels.
Jordan Whitney-Wei (USA) – 2021 Buck Dawson Authors Award: Katharine Whitney Curtis – Mother of Synchronized Swimming: Jordan Whitney-Wei is the great-grandnephew of Katharine Whitney Curtis. His bookwas released on February 25, 2020. His book focuses on family, synchronized swimming and his “Aunt Kate,” a woman ahead of her time. This is Whitney-Wei’s third book and his first award. Katharine “Kay” Curtis was the originator of synchronized swimming, as we know it today. She also wrote a book about it in 1936, though there was much more to her life and career. Unbound by fear, or the narrow expectations of society, she was a woman who lived ahead of her time making things happen along the way. Curtis was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1979.
Russell Weaver (USA) – ISHOF Service Award: Russell Weaver has easily given over 25 years of his time, connections, and resources to ISHOF. He is extensively involved with business networks throughout South Florida. When he attends these meetings and events, he always has in his mind, “Can this help ISHOF in any way?” As president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Sisters Cities International and co-chair of Tower Club Internationals, Weaver works closely together with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Broward County, and the City of Fort Lauderdale. He helps to promote Broward County’s business and cultural highlights to the Miami based Consulates and binational chamber of commerce organizations. During these international monthly meetings, new business and government relationships are established, highlighting Fort Lauderdale and Broward County as a world class destination. As always, Weaver remembers ISHOF and always gives us the opportunity to showcase our Honorees at some of these events and educate the international local community and others, about what our museum has to offer.
James S. O’Connor (USA)– Judge G. Harold Martin Award: Jim O’Connor has more than 40 years-experience as an aquatic professional and is committed to the prevention of aquatic accidents and teaching children to swim. O’Connor is the Aquatics Program Manager for Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Open Spaces Department, the third largest parks and recreation department in the United States and the largest municipal learn to swim provider in the state. O’Connor has held numerous aquatic positions, served on the “Advisory Council” of the “National Drowning Prevention Alliance,” has been an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, Aquatics Coordinator for the American Red Cross Greater Miami and Keys Chapter, and was the Aquatic Director and Head Swim Coach at the University of Oregon.
Patricia Cirigliano (ARG) Virginia Hunt Newman Award: Dr. Patricia Cirigliano started the first Argentine swimming school for babies in 1960. The school was centered around her holistic method, Matronatacion®, which is a creative and original approach to aquatic initiation for babies that involves human integrity and respect for the child and the family. To present, 17,000 babies, toddlers and young children beginning at 15 days old have learned to swim and have enjoyed the Matronatacion® method at Cirigliano’s school, whose motto is “Swimming is learnt by playing.” Dr. Cirigliano is member of a great number of associations such as, International Physical Education Federation and Panathlon Club in Buenos Aires and the National Swimming Schools Association in the U.S.A. Since 1991, she has been an active member of the Argentine Pediatrics Association.
Julia Meno (USA) John K. Williams, Jr. International Adaptive Aquatics Award – Sponsored by S.R. Smith: Julia Meno, CTRS, ATRIC, CMT, is the founder and owner of Therapeutic Aquatics, LLC. and is an internationally known presenter and instructor on aquatic therapy and wellness. Julia has a profound love and respect for the power of water as a healing instrument. She founded Therapeutic Aquatics, Inc. in 1996 and began providing aquatic therapy services in Jackson, WY; she also worked closely with the Jackson school district’s Adaptive PE Program, L.I.F.E. grants, and Wyoming Medicaid Children’s Waiver which all provided a platform to create Pediatric AquaHab© for children with challenges; Julia has worked as a Dementia Care Coordinator and is currently a presenter and faculty for the Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute, Inc. She was the recipient of the ATRI Tsunami Spirit Award in 2002 and the Aquatic Therapy Professional Award in 2014 for her innovations and contributions in education to the aquatic therapy industry.
Wayne Goldsmith (AUS) Al Schoenfield Media Award: Goldsmith has been a thought-provoking leader and influencer in the swim industry for more than 30 years. He has worked directly with many of the world’s leading coaches, athletes, teams and sporting organizations in over 30 different countries. Wayne is a recognized global expert in coaching, coach education, and coach development for peak performance. His lessons in leadership, team development, change acceleration and continuous improvement provide swim coaches with quality, credible, engaging information via articles, videos, podcasts, seminars, clinics, and talks.
This year, both evening events will be will once again be hosted at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, located one quarter mile south of ISHOF on beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach.
The ISHOF Honoree Induction and Dinner will also host its annual silent auction. If you have anything you might want to donate to this year’s silent auction, please contact Meg at meg@ishof.org
Hotel information, Ticket purchase information and schedule and location of events is listed below.
Make your plans now to attend October 14 & 15, 2022! Purchase your tickets TODAY!!! (Get info on membership here.) Can’t attend the event? Donate to ISHOF to support our honorees.
The Induction Weekend Schedule
Friday, October 14, 2022
57th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Specialty and Paragon Awards
Business Casual
Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, 3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316, 954.525.4000
* 6:00 pm ~ Cocktail Reception ~ Ocean Ballroom
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
Cocktails sponsored by Spirited of Fort Lauderdale
* 7:00 pm ~ ISHOF Specialty and Paragon Awards ~ Ocean Ballroom
Sponsored by Pentair
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Official 57th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner
Black Tie Optional
Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, 3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316, 954.525.4000
* 5:30 pm ~ VIP Reception and Silent Auction ~ Grand Ballroom Foyer
Cocktails sponsored by Spirited Fort Lauderdale
* 6:30 –10:00 pm ~ Honoree Induction Ceremony & Dinner – Grand Ballroom
HOTEL INFORMATION
Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa – Click here – $229 per night
3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-4000
Additional Hotel Option: Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach $189 per night
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE – Click here
Please join us at the 57th Annual Honoree Induction Ceremony, Purchase Tickets HERE
Munich Games 50th: The missing Gold of Rick DeMont; How a teenager was let down by those charged to protect him
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
22 August 2022, 07:56am
Munich Games 50th: The Missing Gold of Rick DeMont; How A Teenager Was Let Down By Those Charged To Protect Him
The 50th anniversary of the 1972 Olympic Games is a week away. There will be celebrations of Mark Spitz’s iconic seven-gold show. We’ll remember the precociousness of Shane Gould, the Australian teenager whose five solo medals remain a female standard. And we’ll honor the backstroke greatness of Roland Matthes, who doubled in his events for the second straight Olympiad.
Golden anniversaries are supposed to be joyous occasions. But there is nothing celebratory about what about what Rick DeMont endured in Munich. DeMont’s story, a half-century later, remains a sporting crime, a young man deprived of his rightful place in history. A young man let down by the adults around him. A man, defined by extraordinary achievements in the coaching world, who does not possess what is rightfully his.
When DeMont arrived in Munich, he was one of the younger members of the American delegation. Spitz, of course, was the highest-profile name on the roster. Yet, DeMont was a leading contender for a pair of Olympic titles – in the 400 freestyle and the 1500 freestyle. In the longer event, DeMont was the world-record holder, having set that global standard at the United States Olympic Trials. Munich, quite simply, was the stage to verify his status as the world’s premier distance freestyler.
The 400 freestyle was DeMont’s first event of the Games, held a few days into the competition. By the time DeMont took the blocks, he had handled the necessary pre-Games protocols. Most critical for the 16-year-old was a meeting with United States Olympic Committee officials to complete paperwork regarding his asthma, and to denote the medications (Marax, Actifed, Sudafed) he took for the condition. At no point did officials raise any concerns.
Photo Courtesy: Swimming World
Once the 400 freestyle started, the race evolved into a two-man battle between DeMont and Australian Brad Cooper, considered the favorite for gold. Cooper held the lead for much of the race, including into the final lap. But relying on his greater closing ability, DeMont cut into Cooper’s lead and drew even as the wall neared. At the finish, the gold medalist could not be determined by the human eye, and it wasn’t until the scoreboard flashed the results that a victor was known. At the touch, it was DeMont who prevailed in 4:00.26, with Cooper the slightest margin back in 4:00.27.
“I’ve been swimming come-from‐behind style since I began,” DeMont said of his late rally. “At the United States Olympic Trials, I was strictly thinking of the 1500 meters. Now, I love the 400, especially after tonight.”
Since DeMont was stronger in the 1500 freestyle, a second gold seemingly awaited the American later in the meet. Any chance at a double, however, quickly evaporated. And so did the gold medal that DeMont had captured in the 400 freestyle. Following his apparent triumph in the eight-lap event, DeMont was informed that his post-race doping test revealed trace amounts of Ephedrine, a banned substance.
The presence of Ephedrine in his doping sample was hardly a shock, as the substance was contained in his asthma medication. The substance was also not supposed to be an issue, as USOC officials – following the processing of DeMont prior to the Games – were charged with the task of informing the International Olympic Committee of DeMont’s use for medical reasons. If the IOC had a problem with the substance, it would have notified the USOC and an alternative option would have been sought. The USOC, however, never engaged with the IOC on the topic.
“It was (the USOC’s) responsibility to let me know there was an illegal substance in my prescription and either get it cleared or find an alternative,” DeMont once said. “They failed to do it. I was only 16 years old. I relied on those officials to tell me what I could take, but somehow, I ended up paying the price. I guess it was easier to hang a 16-year-old kid out to dry than to tell the truth.”
Days after his apparent gold-medal swim, DeMont was stripped of his title, with Cooper elevated to the status of Olympic champion. As ugly as the situation was at that moment, it was about to get nastier. After DeMont’s urine test revealed the Ephedrine in his system, U.S. team doctors confiscated the medication DeMont was taking for his asthma. More, at a hearing with IOC officials, DeMont was peppered with questions while Team USA doctors sat quiet, offering no assistance or defense. Simply, DeMont was abandoned by the adults around him – those who dropped the ball in the first place and now refused to accept their role in the mess.
“It’s a gross injustice,” said U.S. Men’s Coach Peter Daland of the IOC’s decision to strip DeMont of his gold medal. “Young De Mont was robbed, robbed because of the mistakes of adults. (USOC personnel) knew of the boy’s medical record because he had it on paper. They said nothing to me or his head coach about it. The communications were atrocious. It’s a young man being punished when he should be applauded. He overcame asthma to win a gold medal and took nothing more than his doctor ordered.”
As the IOC weighed his case, DeMont qualified for the final of the 1500 freestyle. Even if his pursuit of an overturn of the 400 freestyle verdict failed, at least DeMont would get the chance to compete for another gold. Ultimately, that opportunity never materialized. As DeMont was preparing for the final of the 1500 freestyle and the possibility of redemption, United States assistant coach Don Gambrill, with tears running down his cheeks, approached the teenager and told him the IOC ruled he was not allowed to compete.
Reports from Munich indicate that multiple options were considered in the DeMont case. One scenario was to allow DeMont to race in the 1500 freestyle. Instead, the IOC went with the harshest choice, and banned DeMont from the Games. DeMont left Munich devastated. In the minds of many, he hadn’t committed an error, but instead was let down by officials who were supposed to provide support.
A year later, at the inaugural World Championships in Belgrade, DeMont engaged in a rematch with Cooper in the 400 freestyle and became the first man to break the four-minute barrier. DeMont was timed in 3:58.18, with Cooper also cracking the four-minute barrier in 3:58.70. DeMont also went under the existing world record in the 1500 freestyle but had to settle for the silver medal when Australian Stephen Holland blasted an even quicker time.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Following his competitive days, DeMont emerged as one of the world’s finest coaches. For years, he worked alongside Frank Busch at the University of Arizona, where he eventually served as head coach from 2014-17. During his coaching tenure at his alma mater, DeMont mentored a bevy of NCAA champions and became well known for establishing a pipeline between the program and South Africa. It is DeMont who is primarily credited for molding the South African 400 freestyle relay that won gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens behind the efforts of Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling. DeMont served as a South African coach in Athens and coached every member of that relay.
In 2001, DeMont was provided with a measure of vindication when the USOC honored him at a banquet and presented him with a black leather jacket given to all 1972 Olympians. The IOC, however, has not taken steps to restore DeMont’s gold medal, despite several conversations on the topic through the years.
“I don’t need any ceremonies,” DeMont said. “I don’t need any hoopla. I just want the IOC to repair the historical record.”
Montenegrin and Yugoslavian Water Polo Player, Mirko Vicevic to be inducted as part of ISHOF’s Class of 2022
21 August, 2022
Mirko Vičević has won gold at every major event on the water polo world stage; the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the FINA World Cup. His original club was Primorac of Kotor, Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), where he played from 1982 to 1989. After that, he played for several teams, Jadran, in Split, Croatia, Savona (Italy) Barcelona (Spain) Brixia (Brescia, Italy) and Pro Recco (Italy). Vicevic won the LEN Trophy for the years 2002, 2003 and 2006 with his club Brixia, and was selected as Best Sportsman of the Municipality of Kotor in 1986, 1988 & 1989 and Best Sportsman in Montenegro in 1988.
Mirko Vičević mid-play Photo Courtesy: Mirko Vicevic
Mirko Vičević on the Savona team in Italy Photo Courtesy: Ribelli Savona
More about Mirko Vicevic:
After retiring in 1991 Mirko graduated from the School of Water Polo Trifun-Miro Ćirković and began coaching water polo. He received his coaching diploma in 1997. As a coach he won the Italian Junior Championships with the water polo club Savona in 1999. Since 2008, he has been the A-Team Coach of the newly-founded club, Vaterpolo Akademija Cattaro, where he is also the team manager, winning the LEN Trophy in the season 2009/2010. Vičević won the European championship gold medal in 2013, with the National Junior Team of Montenegro. He has also been the adviser of sport in the municipality of Kotor since December 2013.
Mirko Vičević at Akademija Cattaro Photo Courtesy: Mirko Vičević
Come join Vicevic and this year’s class of 2022 in Ft. Lauderdale. If you cannot join us, consider making a donation.
To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees include:
International Swimming Hall of Fame 2022 Honorees
Craig Beardsley (USA) – Swimming
Natalie Coughlin (USA) – Swimming
Marilyn Bell (CAN) – Open Water Swimming
Michael Klim (AUS) – Swimming
Jon Sieben (AUS) – Swimming
Daichi Suzuki (JPN)– Swimming
Matthew Mitcham (AUS) – Diving
Peter Hürzeler (SUI) – ISHOF Contributor
Ursula Carlile (AUS) – Coach
Carol Zaleski (USA) – ISHOF Contributor
Mirko Vicevic (YUG/MON) Water Polo
Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees
Doris Steadman (USA) Masters Swimmer
Dr. Jane Katz (USA) Masters Contributor
Edith Bohm (GER) Masters Swimmer
Olga Kokorina (RUS) Masters Swimmer
Shigehisha Sekikawa (JPN) Masters Swimmer
Birte Hohlstein (GER) Masters Artistic Swimming
Guenther Wolf (GER) Masters Water Polo
The Induction Weekend Schedule
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Official 57th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner
5:30 pm VIP Reception6:30 –10:00 pm Induction Ceremony & Dinner
HOTEL INFORMATION
Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
Upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full service spa and oceanside bar. Location of the Saturday evening induction ceremony. ¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-4000
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night, BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE
($39 Resort fee – Guests can opt out if not interested in resort amenities)
Additional Hotel Option: Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733 Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $189 per night
Honoree Ceremony October 15, 2022 Last Day to Book: Friday, September 30, 2022
Munich 50th: When a tie was not a tie: How .002 Decided Olympic Gold and changed the sport
Andras Hargitay, Gunnar Larson and Tim McKee
Munich 50th: When a Tie Was Not a Tie; How .002 Decided Olympic Gold and Changed the Sport
The 50th anniversary of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich will be celebrated later this month, and into September. To commemorate that Golden Anniversary, Swimming World will run features on several of the most-iconic moments from those Games.
On Aug. 30, 1972, Sweden’s Gunnar Larsson and the United States’ Tim McKee touched the wall in identical times of 4:31.98 in the 400-meter individual medley at the Olympic Games in Munich. However, the rules of the day required the race to be taken out to the thousandth of a second, and it was Larsson who was awarded the gold medal, with McKee earning silver. Ultimately, .002 separated the men, a time difference that changed the sport.
The guy in Lane Four charged to the finish, looked to the scoreboard and saw what he wanted. He was an Olympic champion, the “1” next to his name confirming the achievement.
The man in Lane Seven surged for the wall, looked to the scoreboard and saw the outcome he desired. He was an Olympic champion, the “1” next to his name confirming the achievement.
Gunnar Larsson and Tim McKee arrived at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich in search of gold, and for a moment at the conclusion of the 400-meter individual medley, they both believed their quest was fulfilled. But when the medals were presented inside the Schwimmhalle, only Larsson wore the metal of the most-cherished medal.
There have only been three gold-medal ties in the history of Olympic swimming, and all occurred in sprint-freestyle events. In 1984, Americans Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer shared the title in the 100 freestyle at the Los Angeles Games. Sixteen years later, the United States’ Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Ervin each earned gold in the 50 freestyle at the Sydney Games. At the most recent Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, American Simone Manuel and Canadian Penny Oleksiak posted identical times in the 100 freestyle.
Photo Courtesy:
The fact those six athletes, and not three, were honored as Olympic champions is the direct result of what unfolded in 1972, when Larsson and McKee were inseparable to the human eye and to the hundredth of a second, but not to the timing system in use during the era.
There was no shortage of storylines in Munich, where Mark Spitz corralled seven gold medals and as many world records, and where Australian 15-year-old Shane Gould won five individual medals. So, Larsson and McKee were just doing their part by producing the tightest race – at least to date – in Olympic history.
Despite their personal designs on Olympic gold, neither Larsson nor McKee was the favorite heading into the final of the 400 individual medley. That status went to McKee’s American teammate, Gary Hall, who blasted a world record of 4:30.81 at the United States Olympic Trials in Chicago. It was the fourth time Hall broke the world record since 1969, and it would take a major upset to keep him off the top of the podium.
And then…
Known for his skill in the butterfly and backstroke events, it was not surprising that Hall attacked the front half of the final, which consisted of those two strokes. The aggression displayed by Hall was stunning, as he built a massive advantage during the opening 200 meters. With a weak breaststroke leg, Hall knew he needed separation, but there was also a need to have enough energy for the back half of the race. Would Hall hit a wall?
“Hall went out very fast in the first two legs and was eight seconds ahead (of me) at the 200,” Larsson said. “I had told my dad before the Olympics that if I was six seconds behind or less (at the midway point), I was going to beat him. But six seconds in the last 200 meters is a lot. He went out too hard and died.”
As the competitors shifted into the breaststroke leg, Hall started to show signs of fatigue, and coupled with his struggles in the stroke, McKee was in front of his countryman by the 275-meter mark. Meanwhile, Larsson narrowed his deficit significantly. The question for the Swede, though, was whether he could reel in McKee over the final two laps.
One of several international swimmers on the Long Beach State University roster of coach Don Gambril, Larsson was a well-known force to members of Team USA. And as a former world-record holder and European champion in the 400 freestyle, Larsson was fully expected to make a push down the stretch. But would he have enough room to catch McKee?
Tim McKee
With every stroke, Larsson cut into his deficit and took what was a no-doubt-about-it victory for one of the Americans and made the outcome disputable. At one point, McKee snuck a peek across the pool and saw he had a sizable edge. But when the swimmers approached the wall, there was no separating them, and confusion reigned.
“That whole last leg, I knew I had it won,” McKee said. “Then when I touched and saw Larsson, I didn’t think I’d won. When I saw a one next to my name on the scoreboard, I thought I’d won again, but 15 seconds later, I saw the one next to his name. Then I didn’t know what was going on.”
At the finish, the scoreboard showed Larsson and McKee as co-champions, thanks to matching times of 4:31.98, with Hungarian Andras Hargitay earning the bronze medal. American Steve Furniss was fourth, with Hall in fifth and almost seven seconds slower than his world-record time at Trials.
As officials scrambled, Larsson and McKee sat on the deck and waited for six or seven minutes for a decision. Would they share the gold, as the scoreboard suggested? Would there be a swimoff, which would have been a brutal expectation given the grinding nature of the 400 individual medley? Heck, Larsson even suggested to McKee the idea of a gold-silver hybrid medal.
None of those scenarios was an option. Instead, officials revealed that the timing system – although not displayed on the scoreboard – tracked the swimmers to the thousandth of a second, and Larsson was declared the winner. The Swedish standout’s official time was noted as 4:31.981 to the 4:31.983 of McKee.
“With 20 meters to go, I looked around and that messed up my stroke for two or three turns,” McKee said. “Normally, that wouldn’t matter, but I know it cost me two-thousandths of a second. There has to be a winner and a loser, even if it’s two-millionths.”
When a race is won in that fashion, it is easy to dissect every minute detail of the event. Were there any turns that could have been better? How was the finish? Could more energy have been spent or reserved on an earlier stroke?
For Larsson, there was never any doubt he won. Well, his reaction said as much. After touching the wall and looking at the results, Larsson celebrated the “1” next to his name, only to be told by fellow Swede Bengt Gingsjo that he wasn’t the only athlete shown to have prevailed. It took nearly 10 minutes for the result to be confirmed, and for Larsson to breathe a sigh of relief.
A few days later, Larsson and McKee engaged in another duel, this time in the 200 individual medley. Unlike the longer distance, Larsson won the rematch behind a world record, with McKee picking up his second silver medal. McKee’s career was defined by silver linings. Four years after finishing behind Larsson on two occasions, McKee was again the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 individual medley, beaten at the 1976 Games by American Rod Strachan.
The precedent set by the duel between Larsson and McKee resulted in officials deciding that any future ties would not be taken out to the thousandth of a second. Obviously, that decision provided no solace for McKee, who saw the rule book of FINA, the sport’s governing body, altered to read as part of Section SW 11.2: “When automatic equipment is used, the results shall be recorded only to 1/100 of a second. When timing to 1/1000 of a second is available, the third digit shall not be recorded or used to determine time or placement. In the event of equal times, all swimmers who have recorded the same time at 1/100 of a second shall be accorded the same placing. Times displayed on the electronic scoreboard should show only to 1/100 of a second.”
The change to the rules led to the subsequent sharing of gold medals in 1984, 2000 and 2016. Really, Larsson and McKee – although unaware of their future impact – changed the landscape for Hogshead, Steinseifer, Hall Jr., Ervin, Manuel and Oleksiak. If not for their epic showdown, perhaps ties would not have been allowed.
While Larsson was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1979, McKee did not receive his due recognition until 1998. If not for .002, McKee undoubtedly would have received enshrinement much earlier. Asked about the impact of that finish on his life, McKee once had a simple answer. The reply, too, placed perspective on the moment.
“It’s not who I am,” McKee said. “It’s who I was and where I’ve been.”
Larsson is regarded as one of the two greatest male swimmers in Swedish history, the other being distance legend Arne Borg. Despite the passage of time, Larsson remembers that night in Munich vividly.
“Going into the last 50, Tim was way ahead of me, three or four meters ahead,” Larsson said. “I watch the video and every time, I don’t think I am going to catch him. Every time, it is a new experience where I say, ‘I won this time, also.’”
Barely.