ISHOF Honors Black History Month with 2012 Gold Medallion Recipient: Superstar Milton Gray Campbell ~ Read his story!
Story by ISHOF Curator, Bruce Wigo
In 2016, Richard “Sonny” Tanabe, the legendary Hawaiian spear fisherman, author, member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic swimming team and Indiana University great stopped by the Hall of Fame with his wife Vicki and took a tour of the museum. “I always wondered why there weren’t more black swimmers,” Sonny told me, after reviewing our Black swimming history exhibit. “But I knew an African-American who was an All-American swimmer back in 1951.”
That swimmer was Milton Campbell. In 1953, as an eighteen year old, Milt was named by Sport Magazine as the best H.S. athlete in the world and it’s hard to imagine any high schooler on the planet who has ever had a superior claim to that title. As a junior, not only had Campbell won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 1952 Olympic Games, but he had also finished fifth in the open high hurdles at the U.S. trials. He scored 180 points for his high school’s football team in one season and subbing once for a sick heavyweight wrestler, he took only a minute and a half to pin the boy who would go on to be state champion. On top of that, he was an All-America swimmer. After high school, Campbell went on to star in both football and track at Indiana University, won a few national titles in the high hurdles and capped his amateur career by winning the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
Sonny Tanabe learned about Milt’s swimming skills in the fall of 1953 when both were freshmen at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. One day, when Sonny was swimming some laps with his teammate, fellow Hawaiian and future Olympic swimmer Bill Woolsey, Milt Campbell walked into the natatorium.
“When Milt saw us he walked across the pool and jumped into the lane next to me,” recalled Sonny.“He knew Bill and me because we had some classes together and he asked if he could swim a few laps with us. ‘Sure,’ we both said. You didn’t see any black swimmers in those days, so we weren’t sure if he was joking or not. Anyway, I told him we were going to do a couple of 50’s and he said ‘OK.’ On my ‘go’ the three of us pushed off the wall and to our amazement Milt was right there with us at the 25. ‘Wow! I mean here were two future Olympic swimmers and he was matching us stroke for stroke. ‘You’re a damn good swimmer,’ I told Milt when we finished. That’s when he told us he had been an All-American swimmer in high school.”
Amazing! When I told Sonny I’d like to talk to Milt, he said he’d track him down. True to his word, he emailed me Milt’s numberand here’s the story as told to me by Milt Campbell, in his own words.
“I got interested in swimming when I was a freshman at Plainfield H.S. in New Jersey. I had just finished playing J.V. football and we had an undefeated season. My brother Tom was a junior and a three-sport star in football, basketball and track. He was the star running back for the varsity; I was the star running back for the J.V. squad. Everybody was always comparing me to Tom. While that was flattering I wantedto step out of his shadow and find my own identity. So after football season, I was determined to do something other than basketball. My plan was to see what the other sports had to offer. I had some friends on the wrestling team, so I knew what that was like, so my first stop was to check out the swim team. I knew how to swim because when I was young my dad would take our family out to a canal. He’d swim across, back and forth while my brother and I played in the shallow water. I remember my dad taking us once to the community pool. There weren’t any laws preventing us from being there, like in the south, but it was clear we weren’t welcome. That’s why we went swimming with other black folks in the canals and rivers. Anyway, it wasn’t until I was a little older and went to summer camp that I learned to swim. I learned from watching the older boys and when I tried to imitate them, they would encourage me by moving their arms and yelling, ‘Stroke your arms! Stroke your arms!’ I was a good copycat and that’s how I learned to swim. So, there I was sitting in the stands when one of the swimmers, a white boy, comes up to me and asks me what I’m doing in the pool. ‘I’m thinking about joining the swim team,’ I replied.
‘We’ve never had a colored boy swim for us,’ he said. ‘I don’t think you can swim.’ I asked him why he thought that. He said, ‘because all the waters in Africa are infested with crocodiles so your people never took to the water.’ I looked athim and said, ‘what the hell does that have to do with me? I was born in Plainfield.’ I’m not African, I thought to myself. There aren’t any crocodiles in the waters of New Jersey. What did hemean, ‘your people?’ My father knew how to swim and so did I. Whenever someone has told me I can’t do something, it has become my mission in life to prove them wrong. That has always been my strongest motivation. It’s a concept I now lecture on: It’s not important what you say to me, it’s important what I say to me.
Anyway, as the boy walked away and these thoughts were racingthrough my mind, the coach walked over to where I was sitting. Coach Victor Liske was, at 40 years of age, in the prime of his Hall of Fame coaching career that ended in 1966 with a record of 266 wins, 84 losses, 2 ties and 5 undefeated seasons. As a kid he had lost a couple of fingers and most of his left leg in a train wreck. He walked with a noticeable limp because of his prosthesis. But that didn’t hold him back. He played baseball and was a record setting backstroker in high school and was captain of Lafayette College’s swim team for the 1932-33 season.
What brought me into the pool? he asked. I told him I was thinking about joining the swim team.
‘That’s great!’ he said. ‘You’ve got big hands, big feet – you’re a great athlete – you’ll make a great swimmer!’ And I could tell hemeant it. ‘What event do you think you’d like to swim?’ he asked.
Well, I’d never seen a meet so I was kind of at a loss for words. Then it hit me. ‘You know that boy I was just talking with?” Coach nodded. ‘What does he swim?’ ‘Sprint freestyle. He’s our top sprinter.’ ‘Sprint freestyle! That’s what I want to do,’ I said. Now when I say I knewhow to swim, I did know how, but not very well. I swam with my head out and knew nothing about racing techniques, or starts and turns. But Coach Liske saw my potential and worked with me. I remember he had me do a lot of drills with a board. Progress was slow at first, but he was a good, patient teacher and I was a quick learner.
Our pool at Plainfield was shallow at one end and deep at the other. Sometimes after practice coach would bring out a ball and we’d play water polo. I was pretty big in comparison to the other boys, even as a freshman, and was pretty much unstoppable in the shallow end. Everyone would jump on me; sometimes even my own teammates would jump on me and try to pry the ball out of my grasp. It was really great fun. Finally they figured out the only way to get the ball out of my hands was to drag me to the deep end and hold me under water. I was afraid and panicked when I got dunked and didn’t have my feet on the bottom, so I’d let go of the ball. This goes back to an incident when I little. A kid jumped on my back in a canal and I almost drowned. Coach saw the panic on my face and a few days later told me stay after practice.
Coach Liske was totally unselfconscious about taking off and putting on his prosthetic legs. While I waited, Coach got changed and put on his peg leg and joined me at the edge of the deep end. ‘Get in,’ he said, jumping in after me. When we got out into the middle of the pool he told me to dunk him. ‘Go ahead, dunk me!’ So I dunked him! ‘No, really, tackle and dunk me like we’re in a water polo game.’ So I tackled him, held him under and then shoved him to the bottom of the pool. When he came up twenty feet away from me, he explained that when I dunked him he just held his breath, relaxed and went down to the bottom. Then he pushed off and returned to the surface. ‘Don’t fight, they’re going to sink you,’ he said. ‘Find another solution to the problem.’ It was his way of teaching me about life through sports. Funny thing, after I learned to be comfortable when tackled in the deep water, the team stopped asking to play polo.
At the end of my first year swimming I was second to that boy who didn’t think I’d make the team. But the next year I broke all his records. Our team went undefeated and I swam the anchor leg on Plainfield’s All-American medley relay that won the Eastern Championship. I didn’t swim my junior year because I was preparing for the Olympics trials and my senior year I was focused on getting a scholarship for football and track, so there was no time to swim again.
Sounds like you had a great experience with Coach Liske. Can you tell me more about him?
He was like a guardian angel to me. A fantastic man and I loved him dearly. I felt pretty much the same way about my track coach, Harold Brugiere. I was really blessed by having these two mentors. It’s funny I would feel that way, because I remember when I was young my dad told us to be careful around white men – that we shouldn’t trust them.
I never heard Mr. Liske berate or speak badly of anyone, but if you messed up, he made sure you learned a lesson. Here’s one example of what I’m talking about. I had a lot of friends on the wrestling team and after swim practice I would wander into the wrestling room and fool around, wrestle with the guys. One day, the wrestling team had a match against Jefferson High. It was a big match. I wanted to see it so bad that I told Mr. Liske I was sick and couldn’t swim that day. He said ‘OK, go home and get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Instead of going home, I went up through a back stairwell and entered a back door to the gymnasium so I could watch the match. I was near the locker room and when the door opened I could see our heavyweight throwing up. When coach Rosy came out I asked him what was the matter. ‘Oh, he’s just nervous. He’ll get over it,’ he said. ‘Well, if he doesn’t get over it and you need me, I’ll do it,’ I told him. ‘Thanks Milt, but you’d get hurt. This Jefferson guy’s a killer. One of the best in the state.’ Well, as it looked like the match was going to down to the last weight class, the coaches were talking about forfeiting the heavyweight class because guy’s problem was more than nerves,he was really sick. So the assistant coach starts in on coach Rosy. “Milt’s strong as an ox and I’ve seen him wrestle with the boys after our practice. What have we got to lose?’ Finally, Rosy relented, ‘Ok, get him dressed.” Well, I pinned the guy in one minute and 28 seconds and Plainfield won the match. That guy went on to win the state title by the way. When I got to school the next day, I was a hero. Everybody was congratulating me in the hallways on the way to my first class – which was math with Mr. Liske. Unlike everyone else in the school, Mr. Liske wasn’t happy to see me. As we took our seats and got out our books, he sternly said: ‘put your books away! It has come to my attention that we have a liar in our midst.’ He then proceeded to lecture us on the virtue of honesty in a way that I felt obligated to apologize to him before the whole class. I never felt so bad. Here was a guy who had been so good to me and I lied to him. When the bell rang to dismiss the class, I couldn’t wait to get out of that room, but Mr. Liske called me over. Oh No! Not more, I thought. But instead of being mad, he patted me on the back and said, “great job!” I was forgiven andat swim practice that afternoon all was well again!
I stayed in contact with Coach Liske over the years and when he was in failing health in 2008 I visited him often and he would cry every time he’d see me. I told him if he kept crying I wasn’t go- ing to visit him any more. ‘You don’t need to cry when you see me,’ I said. ‘Think about the good times we had.’ ‘That’s why I’m crying,” he said. On one of my last visits before he passed away at the age of 98, we had a good laugh over the time we beat the Army Plebes 40 -35, by winning the last relay on which I was the anchor and came from behind to win the race. We sang on the bus all the way home, from the time we left West Point to the time we pulled into the high school parking lot. It was one of those days you, your team and your coach never forget.
We talked a little about why more African Americans aren’t swimming and Milt understands the problem. It’s all in the mind. We have to change people’s mental attitude. I had the example of my father who was a good swimmer and then I had coaches who helped me to believe anything was possible.
As the greatest athlete of his generation, I wondered why Milt didn’t receive the same commercial success and public recognition as otherGold Medal decathletes that went before or after him. Milt wasn’t movie star handsome like Bob Mathias or Rafer Johnson, but I believe, like many social historians, that it was because America wasn’t ready for black man to have the title of the World’s Greatest Athlete. Add that to the fact that he married a white woman at a time when half of the states had anti-miscegenation laws and you can see why Milton Campbell is aforgotten hero.
I can only imagine what kind of swimmer or water polo player Milt Campbell might have been, or the impact he might have made on our culture and the widely accepted stereotype that “blacks can’t swim” had he continued swimming. Listening to Sonny Tanabe and Milt tell their stories, and reading what coach Liske told people for over fifty years, I’m convinced that if Milt stuck with swimming he could have been an Olympic Champion in our sport too!
Friends we’ve lost in 2024
Dr. Ron O’Brien – November 19, 2024
The Sport of Diving loses a Legend: Dr. Ron O’Brien dies at age 86 at home in Naples, Florida
Casey Converse – August 10, 2024
Passages: The Gift of Casey Converse; Distance Legend Passes Away at 66
Paul W. “Buddy” Bucha July 31st, 2024
Passings: ISHOF loses 1997 Gold Medallion Recipient, Paul W. “Buddy” Bucha ~ longtime ISHOF friend
Carolyn Schuler Jones – July 22, 2024
Passages: Carolyn Schuler Jones, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Dies at 81
Brent Rutemiller – June 17, 2024
David Wilkie – May 22, 2024
Great Britain and the ISHOF family lose a great one: David Wilkie loses his battle with cancer…..
Jon Urbanchek – May 9, 2024
Passages: ISHOF Honor Coach Jon Urbanchek, Iconic Olympic, Michigan Coach Dies; Legacy Will Endure
Judith McGowan – March 10, 2024
Giuseppe D’Altrui – February 22, 2024
The world of water polo loses a great: Giuseppe D’Altrui
Eddie Sinnott – February 20, 2024
Lance Larson – January 19, 2024
Passages: Lance Larson, 1980 ISHOF Honoree Controversially Denied Olympic Gold, Dies at 83
Making waves in August with “Every Child A Swimmer”
Every Child a Swimmer: Making Waves in Water Safety and Drowning Prevention
The Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS) team has had a busy month, attending several key events to strengthen our mission and expand our outreach. We were excited to participate in the Heritage Business Development Workshop
Gorman Company Customer Appreciation BBQ
and the FSPA East Central Chapter Baseball with the Daytona Tortugas event.
These gatherings provided incredible opportunities to network with industry leaders and forge new partnerships, bringing us closer to our goal of making water safety a priority for all.
Additionally, Casey recently flew to Dallas, Texas, to participate in not one, but two episodes of the Pool Nation Podcast. The first episode shared Casey’s personal story, highlighting how the pool industry can support the ECAS mission. During this podcast, Todd Pieri from AquaStar Pool Products called in with an extraordinary announcement—AquaStar has committed $10,000 to support ECAS’s efforts. Following this, Todd Pieri and Steve Barnes scheduled a second podcast to further discuss collaborative strategies on how we can maximize our impact together. On August 3rd, Todd, Steve, Casey and the Pool Nation team met again for Part 2 of the Pool Nation Podcast to discuss the importance of having a conversation about water safety with your clients. Together, we can move the needle and save many lives together!
We were also honored to participate in the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) – United to End Drowning event on August 6th held at the iconic International Swimming Hall of Fame pool. This event was a vital part of our continued efforts to address Florida’s public health crisis related to childhood drowning. We understand that there is much more to be done to make meaningful progress in saving lives, and we are steadfast in our commitment to this cause.
Why We Do What We Do:
Drowning is a global health issue that claims an estimated 236,000 lives annually. The highest rates are seen among children aged 1-4 years, followed closely by children aged 5-9 years. In the United States alone, approximately 3,960 unintentional drowning fatalities occur each year, which equates to about 11 deaths every day. Non-fatal drowning incidents are equally alarming, accounting for over 8,000 emergency department visits each year.
There are also stark racial and socioeconomic disparities when it comes to drowning. African American children aged 5-19 are 5.5 times more likely to drown in swimming pools than their white counterparts, often due to limited access to swimming lessons and safe swimming environments.
However, there is hope. Research shows that participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1-4 by as much as 88%. That’s where ECAS steps in—by providing swim lesson scholarships to children from low-income families, we are breaking down the economic barriers that prevent many from learning essential, life-saving skills.
Our Mission Continues
We are proud to collaborate with high-quality swim schools that share our mission to create a generation of swimmers. Together, we can significantly reduce drowning rates and promote water safety among vulnerable populations. By working hand in hand with dedicated partners and sponsors, ECAS is making a difference—one swimmer at a time.
149 Years ago today, Capt. Matthew Webb was the first person to successfully cross the English Channel
Captain Matthew Webb (GBR)
Honor Swimmer (1965)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: First swimmer to cross the English Channel, 1875.
Immortality doesn’t come often and once is enough for most swimmers, but not for Captain Matthew Webb, who was first to swim the English Channel in 1875. This feat was an accomplishment of the impossible, according to all estimates up to that time. Many tried but it was 36 years before anyone else (Burgess, 1911) ever made it across the Channel. But Webb was not around to greet No. 2. Webb’s feat lasted 28 years longer than he did. In an effort to bolster lagging attendance for his vaudeville act in 1883, just 8 years after his Channel swim, Captain Webb decided to try for immortality a second time by swimming across the rapids just above Niagara Falls. Once again considered opinions said, “impossible” and this time they were right. Webb is buried at Niagara Falls, Ontario.
But enough of Webb’s failure and on to his accomplishment, a swimming record that stood 59 years until 1934. It all started in 1862 when merchant seaman William Hoskins rode a bundle of straw from Griz Nez to South Foreland. Captain Matthew Webb decided to try it without artificial bouyancy. His first attempt failed, but as his fatigue faded, he planned again. On August 25, 1875, he was successful. The start was from Admiralty Pier at Dover; the time 4 minutes to one on Tuesday, August 24th. With the southwesterly stream running at considerable speed, he ran into difficulty from the start. Although ships had navigated the Channel for centuries, swimming it was a different proposition. Tidal calculations, accurate enough for ship navigation, were by no means accurate for man navigation. Therefore, in comparing Webb’s effort with more recent ones, one great point must be constantly appreciated. Not only was the swimmer attempting a new and colossal task, but so were the boatmen and pilots. The present specialized knowledge has been built on the experience of the preceding years. So, as a result of combined inexperience at that time, Webb was last seen from the English shore being swept vigorously westwards into the main English Channel.
For the main part of the passage, he swam breaststroke at 26 strokes a minute. At one period in mid-Channel, a jellyfish sting temporarily slackened his pace. And for the last two and a half hours he was so exhausted that his stroking became weak and irregular; indeed, much anxiety was felt about his ability to finish at all. His cross-Channel diet was beer, brandy and beef tea. Lack of modern knowledge was in some little way compensated by the lack of modern rules. For instance, he had an attendant lugger and two rowing boats throughout. And at the finish an outsize rowing-boat accompanied him on the weather side to keep the cresting waves from getting at him.
Webb finally reached the Calais sands at 19 minutes to eleven on Wednesday, August 25th. A crowd of thousands massed on the French beach. They gave him a rousing welcome as he was assisted into a horse-drawn vehicle in shallow water and taken to recuperate. In England, of course, he became one of the greatest heroes that has ever arisen in peacetime. The whole nation was depressed 8 years later when, at the age of 35, Captain Webb drowned. He went over Niagara Falls, but not successfully.
Note: A special thanks to Cdr. Gerald Forsberg for excerpts from his book, Long Distance Swimming.
Swedish Olympian Glen Christiansen to be inducted into MISHOF
This lifelong swimmer was very reluctant to water at first, and then other interests delayed him fully immersing himself in the sport until he was 13, but within a few months he was demonstrating his full potential.
Glen Christiansen was coached by 1960 Olympian, Berndt Nilsson and once together, his talents grew. Within a few years, he was competing at national championships, setting national records and eventually he made the Swedish National Team, competing in European and World Championships, until ultimately, the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, where he finished 11th in the 200-meter breaststroke. The following year, 1981, Glen posted the fastest Short Course Meters time in the world in the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.60.
Just three years after leaving elite swimming, he returned to his winning ways as a Masters swimmer. He competed in the very first FINA Masters World Championships, in Tokyo, walking away with three gold medals and a world record in the breaststroke events. Over the course of nine age groups, 25 to 69, Glen’s Masters resume has been outstanding.
Since 1986 he has set 24 Masters world records, winning 15 gold medals in FINA World Championships. In 2000, the men’s high point award at the Swedish Masters Championships was named after Glen’s honoring his success as a Masters swimmer.
In 2013, Glen’s Masters career was interrupted by a stroke he experienced which caused him to fall down a flight of stairs, only to awake three weeks later in the hospital. Paralyzed on the left side, he had to re-learn how to speak, eat, and do everything again properly. Of course, swimming became Glen’s measure of recovery and just six months later he won a 2.5km open water race.
In 2022, Glen won his first international title in the 200 butterfly at the European Masters Championships. “New world records are coming slowly” Glen says, but he is “just happy to be alive and back into swimming.”
Today, Glen runs his “Swimmers without Borders” camp on the beautiful island of Tenerife, coaching and spreading his swimming wisdom to people of all ages. Christiansen will be inducted, Friday, October 4, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach, during the ISHOF Honoree Induction weekend. If you cannot join us, please consider making a donation.
To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Honorees include:
HONOR SWIMMERS:
Clary Munns (AUS)
Glen Christiansen (SWE)
Tom Wolf (USA)
HONOR DIVER: Tarja Liljestrom (FIN)
HONOR SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER: Lizzi Jakobsen* (USA)
HONOR WATER POLO: Jose Luis Martin Gomez (ESP)
HONOR CONTRIBUTOR: Nadine Day (USA)
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2024 includes:
Honor Swimmers:
Lars Frölander (SWE)
Daniel Gyurta (HUN)
Dana Vollmer (USA)
1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Gold Medal Relay Team (USA)
(Includes Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton*, Jill Sterkel)
Honor Divers:
Alexandre Despatie (CAN)
Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)
Wu Minxia (CHN) 2023
Honor Artistic Swimmer:
Virginie Dedieu (FRA)
Honor Water Polo Players:
Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA)
Vladimir Akimov* (USSR)
Honor Coach:
Dennis Pursley (USA)
Honor Contributor:
Dale Neuburger (USA)
ISHOF 59th Annual Honoree Induction weekend
~ HOTEL INFORMATION ~
Host Hotel: Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50757008
321 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 467-1111. Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night,
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $199 per night
~ TICKET INFORMATION ~
Friday, October 4, 2024: Includes:
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) Induction Ceremony
The ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal and
The ISHOF Specialty Awards
Click here to purchase tickets: MISHOF/AWARDS
Saturday, October 5, 2024: Includes
The 59th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Induction Ceremony
The Al Schoenfield Media Award and
The 2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion Award
Click here to purchase tickets: INDUCTION
#ISHOF #WorldAquatics #CityofFortLauderdale #USMS #Masters #USASwimming #AquaCal #Olympics #SwimmingHallofFame #SwimmingWorld #2024Paris
ASCA Announces Finalists for Coach of the Year Award
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
21 August 2024, 02:18pm
Five coaches who had numerous medalists at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been named finalists for the prestigious ASCA George Haines Coach of the Year award. They are Bob Bowman, Todd DeSorbo, Dave Durden, Greg Meehan and Anthony Nesty.
This award is presented annually to the individual whose coaching effectiveness has contributed the most towards American swimming excellence on the World stage. Only coaches whose American athletes achieved medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics were considered for this award. The last three winners are Dave Durden, Anthony Nesty and Gregg Troy.
The 2024 ASCA George Haines Coach of the Year winner will be revealed on September 5 at the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Celebration during the ASCA World Clinic at the Rosen Centre Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Team GB athletes unveil Golden Train in time for Paris 2024
About the ASCA finalists:
Bob Bowman, Director of Swimming and Head Coach of the Men’s Team at the University of Texas.
Todd DeSorbo, Head Coach at the University of Virginia, was the head coach of the Women’s US Olympic team.
Dave Durden, Head Coach at the University of California Berkeley, was an assistant coach for the US Olympic Team.
Greg Meehan, Head Coach of the Women’s Team at Stanford University and assistant coach for the US Olympic Team.
Anthony Nesty, Head Coach at the University of Florida, was the head coach of the Men’s US Olympic team.
The ASCA Coach of the Year has been awarded since 1961. The award is named after coaching great, George Haines, and has been awarded to other trailblazers in the profession such as Doc Counsilman, Eddie Reese, Bob Bowman, Jon Urbanchek and many others.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with ASCA. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
The Olympics Are Over: Where Will the World’s Top Swimmers Compete Next?
22 August 2024, 09:36am
The Olympics Are Over, So Where Will The World’s Top Swimmers Compete Next?
The 2024 Olympic Games are over. For three years, swimming fans waited to watch some of the biggest stars in the sport battle it out in the iconic La Défense Arena, and the results were certainly worth the wait. Fortunately, the swimming action will continue in just a few days with Paralympic swimming, but once the Paralympics are over, when is the next time that we will see the world’s top swimmers compete on the national or international stage?
Here are the next high-level meets taking place domestically and worldwide for the remainder of 2024 and the entirety of 2025.
2024
World Aquatics Swimming World Cup (SCM)
Stop One
Location: Shanghai, China
Date: October 18th–20th, 2024
Stop Two
Location: Incheon, South Korea
Date: October 24th–26th, 2024
Stop Three
Location: Singapore, Singapore
Date: October 31st–November 2nd, 2024
The World Cup is the first big international meet after the Paris Olympics, and multiple high-profile swimmers will compete. The World Cup will feature a short-course meters format, and consist of three “stops” or meets that will take place in Eastern Asia. Swimmers will compete at each stop for three days before moving onto the next location. Heats will be held in the morning session, and finals will be held in the evening session at all three stops.
Toyota U.S. Open (SCY)
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Date: December 4th–7th, 2024
The Toyota U.S. Open is one of the more unique meets on the 2024 schedule. This meet is different, as swimming fans can watch their favorite professional swimmer compete in short-course yards instead of the traditional long-course meters. National and international swimmers are known to race at this meet, which will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the beginning of December.
World Aquatics Swimming Championships (SCM)
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Date: December 10-15, 2024
The upcoming World Aquatic Swimming Championships are slated to take place in Budapest, Hungary, at the famous Duna Arena. This meet will also be the first time that Hungary will host the World Championships in a 25-meter pool. The championships will last six days, with heats in the morning session and semifinals and finals in the evening session.
Speedo Winter Junior Championships (SCY)
Location: East–Greensboro, North Carolina; West–Austin, Texas
Dates: December 11-14, 2024
The fastest 18-and-under athletes will race at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships in the middle of December. These young swimmers will look to leave their mark on the national stage and be recognized as upcoming stars. This meet will have two locations: the Eastern United States will race in Greensboro, North Carolina, while the Western half will race in Austin, Texas.
2025
TYR Pro Swim Series (LCM)
Stop One
Location: Westmont, Illinois
Date: March 3rd-8th, 2025
Stop Two
Location: Sacramento, California
Date: April 2nd-5th, 2025
Stop Three
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Date: April 30th-May 3rd, 2025
The 2025 season kicks off with three TYR Pro Swim Series stops. The electric Westmont, Illinois, stop is up first at the beginning of March, followed by a stop in Sacramento, California, at the beginning of April, and the final stop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to close out April and kick off May. Many national and international swimming stars are expected at the TYR Pro Swim Series meets.
National Championships (LCM)
Location: To be determined
Date: June 3rd-7th
The National Championships are back in 2025. This meet is nearly as competitive as the U.S. Olympic Trials. American swimmers will compete for a spot to represent Team USA at the World Aquatics Championships later in the summer. This meet is set to take place from June 3rd-7th, 2025, but the location is yet to be determined.
2025 World Aquatics Championships (LCM)
Location: Singapore
Date: July 11th-August 3rd, 2025
The 2025 World Aquatics Championships will be one of the most anticipated meets of the 2025 season, especially since this meet takes place a year after the Paris 2024 Olympics. This meet may feature new, rising swimmers or well-known veterans and give the world a perspective on where some top athletes stand in their careers. These World Championships will take place in Singapore and will feature water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving as well.
Speedo Junior National Championships (LCM)
Location: Irvine, California
Date: July 30th-August 3rd, 2025
The summer Speedo Junior National Championships feature long-course racing instead of short-course yards. The meet will be held in Irvine, California, beginning at the end of July and concluding at the beginning of August. Summer Juniors is highly competitive, and because this meet is contested in the traditional Olympic pool, young swimmers have a chance to show their skills early in the next quad.
TYR Pro Championships (LCM)
Location: Irvine, California
Date: August 5th-8th, 2025
The TYR Pro Championships will close the summer 2025 season. It will occur shortly after the Speedo Junior National Championships and be located in Irvine, California, which has hosted numerous international and national meets. Many professional and collegiate swimmers will be present at this meet.
Toyota U.S. Open (SCY)
Location: To be determined
Date: December 4th-7th, 2025
In December 2025, the world’s fastest swimmers will have another chance to showcase their short-course swimming. The Toyota U.S. Open is back and will continue to be one of the most unique meets on the schedule. The location of the meet is yet to be determined.
Speedo Winter Junior Championships (SCY)
Location: To be determined
Date: December 10th-13th, 2025
Again, the fastest 18-and-under athletes can compete at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships in 2025. The locations for the meet have yet to be determined, but they will take place in the middle of December, just like in 2024. These meets are excellent opportunities for young swimmers to race against the best and gain attention from the swimming world to see who has the potential to be the next rising star.
After Olympic Dominance, Leon Marchand and Summer McIntosh Secure in Positions as World’s Best
Leon Marchand — Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
by DAVID RIEDER – SENIOR WRITER
19 August 2024, 05:06am
After Olympic Dominance, Leon Marchand and Summer McIntosh Secure in Positions as World’s Best
Hundreds of swimmers competed over the nine days at La Défense Arena, all of whom had poured years of training and focus into ensuring they would be at their best for the Paris Olympics. Fifty-seven departed with at least one piece of individual hardware to commemorate a top-three finish, but all carried a sense of finality. The Olympics had been the target, not a stepping stone to some other competition, and the long buildup was over.
Of course, most will return to training soon enough for further cracks at international competition, but it will be four more years until another event comes around with the prestige of the Olympics. History tells us at least half of the headliners from Paris will have declined precipitously by the time the Games of the 34th Olympiad open in Los Angeles while younger swimmers who were not in contention or not even qualified for this year’s Olympics will be winning medals.
At the Olympics, more than any other meet in the world, results matter. Slow pool, lackluster winning times, fewer world records than expected? Who cares? Show up to perform, and your legacy in the sport is secure forever. Whereas World Championships performances can be scrutinized to project swimmers’ results in future years, the Olympics is the endgame.
Such circumstances breed pressure, and the swimmers who most successfully navigated that pressure deserve credit as the best swimmers of the Olympics and best swimmers in the world. Indeed, no one with even a rudimentary understanding of the sport would deny that Leon Marchand and Summer McIntosh are the clear No. 1 choices for their respective genders right now.
Marchand, 22, captivated France and the world with his four-gold-medal performance, becoming only the third man and fourth swimmer overall to win that many individual events in a single Olympics. He was just short of his own world record in a dominant 400 IM triumph while he became the second-fastest performer ever in his three other races. Marchand then added a fifth medal when his breaststroke split helped France to the country’s first-ever medal in the men’s 400 medley relay.
Summer McIntosh — Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Unlike her French counterpart, McIntosh was not perfect individually, coming in just behind Ariarne Titmus in the 400 freestyle before dominating the 400 IM and defeating stellar competition to win the 200 butterfly and 200 IM. McIntosh was unable to add any relay medals as all three Canadian women’s relays that she anchored fell to fourth. Still, she secured her swimmer-of-the-meet status with a win over two other individual gold medalists, Kate Douglass and Kaylee McKeown, in the 200 IM on day eight of competition.
Notably, the argument is not that McIntosh has the top résumé of any female swimmer who competed in Paris. That distinction still belongs to American freestyle great Katie Ledecky while Swedish sprinter Sarah Sjostrom is not far behind, but in the women’s meet this time around, McIntosh’s supremacy could not be questioned, particularly after her dramatic final victory.
Post-Paris, the contenders will be coming for perches atop the sport currently occupied by Marchand and McIntosh… but not yet. Not as most competitors enjoy their vacations and celebrations while only beginning to plot their returns to training. Not with the first opportunity to dethrone the current king and queen of the sport a long way off.
Yes, there will be other meets of significance in the coming months. Select 18-and-under swimmers will continue their quest toward Los Angeles this week as the Junior Pan Pacific Championships get underway in Canberra, Australia. A collection of experienced and fresh talent will gather in Budapest in December for the Short Course World Championships, with further international gold medals on the line. As usual with Short Course Worlds, particularly when held so close after the Olympics, we will not know which Olympic stars will choose to jump back in so soon.
Budapest will surely produce some exceptional performances, but because of the likely-limited participation roster and the 25-meter format, we will not use the meet to judge the best swimmers in the world. No, Marchand and McIntosh will remain in those positions all winter and spring, at the very least until the next global long course competition, with the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore scheduled for July 2025.
That’s the next meet when results will truly be judged for their placements, rather than as a lead-in to something bigger. The top swimmers in Singapore will then become the world’s best for that moment, even if World Championships medals and golds lack the prestige provided in the Olympics. From that moment on, the chase will be on for Los Angeles.
2007 ISHOF Honoree, Ratko Rudic documentary premiers at the OLY House Film Festival in Paris
“It Happened – Ratko Rudić premiered recently at the OLY House Film Festival in Paris. This is the true life story of Hall of Fame coach Ratko Rudic, produced by Dejan Aćimović.
The 115-minute film tells about the journey of the most trophy-winning water polo expert in the world, from his beginnings as a player in Zadar to his fantastic coaching results. He played his first matches for Zadar, won his first trophy under the cap of Split’s Jadran, and also marked a significant part of the Belgrade Partizan era. Rudić made 297 appearances for the water polo national team of Yugoslavia and won seventeen club titles and nine national team medals.
However, as a coach whose career spanned 39 years, he was even more successful. He won as many as 39 medals, 16 of which were gold, which makes him the best Croatian coach of all time in all sports. He is also the second most successful coach in the history of all sports after Brazilian volleyball specialist Bernardo Roche de Rezende, who has 52 medals.
At the Olympic Games, world and European championships, he won 16 medals, ten of which were gold. He won medals leading five different national teams – Yugoslavia, Italy, USA, Croatia and Brazil. He is the only water polo coach who won four Olympic gold medals and the only one who won a medal at the Olympic Games four times in a row, three times in a row.
With Yugoslavia, he won two Olympic and one world gold. He was an Olympic winner, European and world champion with Italy. He repeated the same with the Croatian national team. He led the USA national team to gold at the Pan American Games, and Brazil to silver at the same competition.
Currently the film is viewable online on the e-OLY House platform, which is open only to Olympians. An english language and USA release date will be announced in the future.
Decades-long Volunteer and Masters Superwoman, Nadine Day to be inducted into IMSHOF’s Class of 2023 as Honor Contributor
Nadine Day has devoted the last 25 years of her life to Masters swimming. Her volunteer work began in 2001 when she became the Illinois Local Masters Swimming Committee (LMSC) Sanctions Chair. Attending her first USMS convention a year later, she soon joined several USMS committees, all the while continuing to take on more responsibility within her local MSC. Nadine served as her LMSC’s Vice Chair and subsequently its Chair in addition to balancing the demands of multiple USMS Committee assignments.
In 2005, Nadine was elected to the USMS Board of Directors for the first time. After serving two terms as the Great Lakes Director, she was elected Vice President of Community Services. In 2012, Nadine was elected the youngest President in the history of United States Masters Swimming. During her 16 years as a leader on the USMS Board, Day was involved in numerous task forces and committees. In the late twenty-teens, Nadine was named the United States Aquatic Sports Convention Chairperson, which is no small undertaking. Day and her committee took it over flawlessly from a crew that had been running it for years and years.
Nadine continued serving in leadership positions on committees and international organizations, once off the USMS board. In Nadine’s own words: “To me it’s about giving back to a sport I love and encouraging other adults to love swimming—it’s about providing opportunities for others. Making sacrifices for others is easy when you want our sport to be successful”. Nadine’s contributions to USMS have touched countless lives and helped USMS to grow and evolve.
Nadine has received numerous awards through the years, showing her continued dedication to Masters swimming. She won the USMS Dorothy Donnelly Service Award; in 2015, USMS, gave her the Ted Haartz Staff Appreciation Award and in 2016, she received USMS’s highest honor, the Capt. Ransom J. Arthur M.D. Award. In 2018 Swimming World Magazine named her “One of the 10 Most Impactful People” in Swimming. And lastly, in 2020 United States Aquatic Sports presented Nadine with the Women in Swimming Award.
Nadine Day will be inducted, Friday, October 4, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach, during the ISHOF Honoree Induction weekend. If you cannot join us, please consider making a donation.
To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Honorees include:
HONOR SWIMMERS:
Clary Munns (AUS)
Glen Christiansen (SWE)
Tom Wolf (USA)
HONOR DIVER: Tarja Liljestrom (FIN)
HONOR SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER: Lizzi Jakobsen* (USA)
HONOR WATER POLO: Jose Luis Martin Gomez (ESP)
HONOR CONTRIBUTOR: Nadine Day (USA)
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2024 includes:
Honor Swimmers:
Lars Frölander (SWE)
Daniel Gyurta (HUN)
Dana Vollmer (USA)
1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Gold Medal Relay Team (USA)
(Includes Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton*, Jill Sterkel)
Honor Divers:
Alexandre Despatie (CAN)
Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)
Wu Minxia (CHN) 2023
Honor Artistic Swimmer:
Virginie Dedieu (FRA)
Honor Water Polo Players:
Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA)
Vladimir Akimov* (USSR)
Honor Coach:
Dennis Pursley (USA)
Honor Contributor:
Dale Neuburger (USA)
ISHOF 59th Annual Honoree Induction weekend
~ HOTEL INFORMATION ~
Host Hotel: Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50757008
321 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 467-1111. Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night,
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach
Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $199 per night
~ TICKET INFORMATION ~
Friday, October 4, 2024: Includes:
The Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) Induction Ceremony
The ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal and
The ISHOF Specialty Awards
Click here to purchase tickets: MISHOF/AWARDS
Saturday, October 5, 2024: Includes
The 59th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Induction Ceremony
The Al Schoenfield Media Award and
The 2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion Award
Click here to purchase tickets: INDUCTION
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