Jim Ferguson Joins ISHOF’s One in a Thousand Campaign, “I Truly Believe Their Mission Statement”
by ANDY ROSS
08 March 2021
1972 Olympic bronze medalist in water polo Jim Ferguson has joined the ISHOF’s One in a Thousand Club, designed to help the Hall of Fame prosper during the financial difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ferguson, who is based out of northern California, got his start in his swimming when his family moved out west when he was three years old.
“I grew up in Santa Clara and swam all the way through high school with George Haines, Mark Spitz, and Don Schollander they were all at our competing high school. I played other sports but when I got to high school I gravitated toward water polo but I stayed in aquatics. That was where my Olympic experience came and my international hall of fame and all the other accolades I got. I still swim every day 7 days a week. I am a true believer that swimming keeps you healthy. I preach swimming and I have been donating to other causes that preach swimming.
“I knew Bruce Wigo really well and I like watching the Hall of Fame grow and following the newsletters from ISHOF. It is a great thing to keep people motivated. I was always attracted by the site and now is a good time to support it. I saw that and put some money in. What they are doing at the Hall of Fame is really fantastic and I thought it was a good reason to support.
Jim Ferguson during his playing days. Photo Courtesy: Jim Ferguson
“Recently we went to Colorado Springs to see the Olympic museum,” Ferguson said. “And I thought if Florida was anything like that then I will definitely put it on our next road trip plan. I’m looking at the whole thing. The architectural design is just fabulous and it is right on the water. I’ve been around the world looking at pools through my water polo background and so I am amazed by swimming pools and would love to see what they’ve done there with the museum and everything else. I like museums because there is a lot of history there.
“The Hall of Fame is not just swimming, it is all aquatics and it preaches that swimming is an essential part of life and it is for me. That’s why I joined the club I do and I swim every day in an outdoor facility and I teach people. It is why I do what I do. I truly believe (the Hall of Fame’s) mission statement.”
Join the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.
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The International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you are one in a thousand? We think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!
During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board
“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF
Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
The ISHOF Board of Directors is calling on all members of the aquatics community to make a small monthly commitment to show their dedication to aquatics and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
IWD: Marathon Swimming: Where Women Have Outperformed the Men
by NED DENISON
March 2021,
Marathon Swimming: Where Women Have Outperformed the Men
Today, March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day. As a tribute to the women who have contributed to, grown and defined excellence in the sport, Swimming World will run several features throughout the day which celebrate some of the great women and achievements in swimming history.
Unlike competitive pool swimming, marathon swimming provides opportunities for women to outperform and beat the men in three key aspects of the sport: Solo speed records, endurance records and head-to-head races.
As far as solo speed records are concerned, here are classic courses that featured female record-setters.
English Channel (33 km/20.5 miles): Gertrude Ederle** (1926); Lynne Cox** (1972); Penny Lee Dean** (1978-1995).
Catalina Channel (mainland to the island 32.3 km/20.1 miles): Penny Lee Dean (Held since 1976)
Times in these swims depend on conditions during the swim (tides, temperature, waves, etc.). It is impossible, however, to rationalize that Penny Lee Dean might have had a couple of days of “perfect conditions.” Her records had and have staying power!
Here are the endurance records currently held by women for the longer distances.
Sarah Thomas*: Longest lake swim (168.3 km /104.6 miles) in 67 hours and 16 minutes; and the only four-way English Channel swim (132 km /82.5 miles) in 54 hours and 10 minutes.
Chloë McCardel*: Longest current neutral sea swim (124.4 km /77.3 miles) in 41 hours and 21 minutes
There is some medical discussion about the physical advantages which women might enjoy (or not) over men at these distances. However, the archives show that women hold 14 of the longest 23 current neutral endurance records.
Here is a glance at some great head-to-head races, which every competitive pool swimmer can relate to a bit better.
The biggest marathon race in 1958 was the Butlin International Cross English Channel Race of 33 km/20.5 miles. This brought together the world’s greatest marathon swimmers (seven women and 31 men) from 18 countries. Six of these swimmers have since been inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) and three with future success in the Channel. From those who did not win in 1958: One won in 1959, one became the “King of the Channel” in 1960 with the most crossings and one set the speed record in 1960 and held it for 16 years. So, there is no question about the quality of the competition for the 1958 race.
Greta Andersen**, the gold medalist for Denmark in the 100-meter freestyle in the 1948 Olympics, finished first in 11 hours and 1 minute, beating the next swimmer (a man) by nearly four hours. Only five swimmers finished, one exited on a pier (DQ) and the rest were pulled (for their own safety) or quit. Her victory was not a fluke as that same year, she also won the prestigious Lac St. Jean race of 26 km/16.1 miles.
In a 1962 race of 80km/49.7 miles across Lake Michigan, Greta again beat the men. While this race consisted of only a few swimmers, the prize was one of the richest in the history of the sport: $25,000 (in 2021 terms, $215,000).
In watching the 70-year-old video (no sound) of the 1958 race, one should note that a few things have changed. Nowadays, the swimmers use 5% as much grease and stroke rates are generally much higher. Some things haven’t changed: The water is rarely calm, no assistance is permitted while swimming or getting out and the swim may end on those (still dangerous) rocks.
Greta wasn’t the only woman to beat the men. More than 30 years, later Shelley-Taylor Smith** beat the best men in the world in the 1991 and 1992 races around Atlantic City, a distance of 36.6 km/22.7 miles. This was a prestigious race and 11 of her competitors went on to be inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF).
These wins still happen. In September 2021, the first two finishers in the FINA World Cup Capri to Naples were women. While a COVID-19 year restricted the competition, they did shatter the speed record for this 36km/22.3 miles race.
*Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF)**Honor Swimmer in IMSHOF and the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)
Happy Birthday George Haines !!!
GEORGE HAINES (USA) 1977 Honor Coach
FOR THE RECORD: Coached for 26 years; U.S. Women’s Olympic Team Coach (1960); U.S. Men’s Olympic Assistant Coach (1964); U.S. Men’s Olympic Team Coach (1968); U.S. Women’s Olympic Assistant Coach (1972; Recipient of the National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy; A.S.C.A. “Coach of the Year” 1964, 1966, 1967, 1972; Swam for Huntington (IN) YMCA under Coach Glen Hummer; Coached Santa Clara Swim Club and now at UCLA; Recipient of 1965 AAU Swimming Award.
George Haines won 35 National AAU Team Championships — 26 Women’s and 9 Men’s with the Santa Clara Swim Club. He began swimming for Glen Hummer at the Huntington (IN) YMCA, got tired of waiting for Kalamazoo College to build its pool after the war and moved to Santa Clara where he coached 25 years before moving on to his first college job, not at Kalamazoo but at UCLA. Among his hundreds of National Champions, World and American Record holders at Santa Clara was his own daughter, Kerry. His superstars included Chris Von Saltza, Steve Clark, Claudia Kolb, Don Schollander, and Donna deVarona.
On this day in 1879, British Water Polo Player George Wilkinson was born!!! Read his story:
GEORGE WILKINSON (GBR) 1980 Honor Water Polo Player
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1900, 1908, 1912 gold; On Great Britain’s International Water Polo Teams from 1901 to 1922.
George Wilkinson (1887-1947) was the first superstar of English and world water polo. The English invented the game and Wilkinson made the rest of the world believers. He won his first Olympic gold medal at 20 and his third at 32. The Manchester Osborne team who had dominated English water polo since 1894 took him to Paris on their 1900 Olympic Team without even a trial match. On moving to Hyde in 1903 he joined, then captained the Hyde Seal Club which won the English Championships nine more times. From 1901 until 1922 he played in international competition with the Great Britain team which he captained to a gold medal in 1912 at the Stockholm Olympics. One can only speculate on the almost certainty that he would have won a record five straight Olympic gold medals but for Great Britain’s failure to compete in 1904 and again when WWI cancelled the 1916 games. During his playing career before packed baths, he delighted all audiences with his skills.
Canadian Open Water Swimmer was born on this day in 1909…..
George Young (CAN) 2014 Honor Pioneer Open Water Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: FIRST PERSON TO WIN AN ORGANIZED AND ADVERTISED MARATHON SWIM FOR CASH PRIZES (CATALINA CHANNEL, 21 MILES, 1927); WINNER OF CANADIAN NATIONAL EXPOSITION (CNE) RACES (15 MILES) IN LAKE ONTARIO.
In 1926, William Wrigley, Jr., the chewing gum magnate and owner the Santa Catalina Island Co., was looking for ideas that could bring more attention to the island’s mild winter climate. When word came that Gertrude Ederle had swum across the English Channel, Wrigley took note of Ederle’s stunning accomplishment but was particularly fascinated by the ticker-tape parade and worldwide press coverage that followed.
So, it was with the hope of publicizing the “off season” attractiveness of his resort that Wrigley invited the world’s greatest distance swimmers to race across the Catalina Channel, roughly the same distance as the English Channel, for a winning prize of $25,000.
Never in swimming history was there an event that created greater enthusiasm, interest and participation than the William Wrigley Ocean Marathon.
When the starter’s gun boomed at 11:21 AM, it was followed almost instantaneously by the roar of the massed crowd and blasting boat horns as one hundred and one swimmers leaped for the water, which was as smooth and inviting as a pond. But a few hundred yards from shore the 54 degree temperature water offered whitecaps and fog in the distance.
Olympian Norman “Moose” Ross and George Young, a pennyless 17 year old amateur from Toronto, Canada quickly emerged from the pack. After about a mile Young grabbed a lead of about 150 yards, doubled that lead after two hours and stretched it to a mile by sunset. Gradually, swimmers began to drop out of the race, until Young and Ross were alone to fight against the icy depths, the intense exhaustion, and even the occasional shark. As Young neared the mainland with Ross closing the gap, thousands of people lined the shore with car headlights and bonfires, shouting encouragement to the solitary swimmer as he battled the force of the incoming tide. The triumphant Canadian stepped onto shore to claim his prize after an incredible and grueling 15 hours and 45 minutes.
Over the next few days, Young was picked up and carried along by a gigantic title wave of popularity that seemed to be taking the sports world’s newest idol to fame, glory and riches. But while fame and glory proved to be elusive, the spirit and memory of George Young, the “Catalina Kid” survives today in the minds of all swimmers who try to meet the challenge of the crossing, his victory remains an example of achievement and accomplishment through perseverance and fortitude.
On this day in 1903, Honor Swimmer, Warren Kealoha was born…..
WARREN KEALOHA (USA) 1968 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1920 gold (100m backstroke); 1924 gold (100m backstroke); NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 gold (50 freestyle); Backstroke world record holder and national champion for 6 years.
Hawaiian Olympic swimming is a study in brotherhood — the Kahanamoku brothers, the Kealoha brothers and the Kalili brothers. The Kahanamoku brothers, Duke and Sam, were second and third to Johnny Weissmuller in the 1924 Olympic 100 meter freestyle after Duke had won in 1912 and 1920. The Kalili brothers, Mailola and Manuella, were on the silver medal 800 meter freestyle relay team in 1932. The Kealoha brothers, Pua and Warren, won gold medals in the 800 freestyle relay (Pua) with The Duke; and the 100 meter backstroke (Warren) in the 1920 Olympics.
Warren Kealoha, the baby of the 1920 team, was 16 when he won his first Olympic backstroke crown. He came back to win again in 1924 as the Olympics first double winner in any stroke other than freestyle.
Warren Kealoha, like his brother, was a USA champion freestyler, twice winning the National AAU 50 freestyle gold medal, but he was supreme for 6 years as backstroke world record holder and national champion.
“It wasn’t easy for Hawaiians to get to the Olympics back in those days,” Warren says, “or I might have had a chance at my third Olympics in 1928.” Warren Kealoha had more trouble getting to his races than winning them. “We had to break a world record before they could afford to send us to the Mainland,” he says, “then when we arrived by boat and out of shape, we had to beat all comers on the West coast, again in Chicago, and again in New York before we finally made the Olympic team.” Warren joins the late Duke Kahanamoku, Bill Smith, Buster Crabbe and coach Soichi Sakamoto as Hawaiian swimmers in the Hall of Fame. Now a successful rancher, Kealoha represents an amazing heritage of Island swimming which dominated the world for 50 years. The list, beginning with coach “Dad” Center and ending with diver Keala O’Sullivan, including Sargent Kahanamoku, Keo and Bunny Nakama, Douglas and Jerry Miki, Bill Woolsey, Allan Stack, Dick Cleveland, George Onekea, Sunny Tanabe, Halo Hiroshi, Ford Konno, Oshi Oyakawa, Charlie Oda, Evelyn Kawamoto, Thelma Kalama, Ivalena Hoe, Clarence Lane, Dudley Pratt, Jose Balmores, Kenny and Sammy Nakasone, Walt Richardson, the Honda boys and many others.
There may have been years when the Hawaiian Islands would have won the Olympics without help from the Mainland. It should be an inspiration to island peoples everywhere that swimming championships can become part of the way of life in island recreation.
Happy Birthday Ian O’Brien !!!
IAN O’BRIEN (AUS) 1985 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964 gold (200m breaststroke), bronze (relay); 1968 4th (relay); WORLD RECORDS: 4 (200m, 110yd, 220yd breaststroke, 1 relay); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1962 (110m, 200m breaststroke; relay); 1966 (100m, 200m breaststroke); AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (9): 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 (100m breaststroke); 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 (200m breaststroke).
Ian O’Brien moved to Sydney when his father died in 1961 to swim for Terry Gathercole. He was an immediate success-State Champ and National Champ for the next six years. He won three golds in the Commonwealth Games the next year in Perth. Yet, his wins were in yards and no one took him seriously.
The Tokyo Olympic favorites were Jestremski (USA) and Pankin. O’Brien remembers with joy how he and his coach worked out in Tokyo before the Games with the Russian and American coaches, watching and timing. In that practice he came within two seconds of the World Record for 200m breaststroke–the big psyche was on! It was an omen of his Olympic races which followed. He set a World and Olympic Record, winning the gold over both Pankin and Jestremski.
O’Brien’s greatest showing, however, would be saved for the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. Six weeks before the Games, out of shape and 30 pounds overweight. O’Brien decided to have a go at it. He not only “had a go at it” but won the 110 and 220 yard breast, the latter in 2:28 (which translates to 2:27.0 for 200m or two tenths better than his Olympic and World Record in Tokyo two years before.)
He came back again to swim in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, but this time he was fourth. His memories are of Russian teenagers pestering him to sell Beatles’ records, gum and nylons; of training in sunny Queensland and of standing on top of the victory stand in 1964 and 1966 when he was not supposed to win. These moments and his trips to Mexico, Jamaica, Japan and a tour of Russia and Europe, plus bringing his coach’s World Records back to Australia, are the memories of this Olympic Champion and World.
Happy Birthday Mary Kok !!!
MARY KOK (NED) 1980 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1956 (boycott); WORLD RECORDS: 10 (440yd, 880yd, 800m, 1760yd freestyle; 100yd, 100m butterfly; 400yd, 400m individual medley; 1 relay) from 1955 to 1957.
Hall of Fame coach Jan Stender developed 8 world record holders living on one street in Hilversum, Holland, in 1955. Yet neither coach Stender nor any of his Dutch swimmers were allowed to compete in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. This boycott which the Dutch Government called as a protest to the Russian repression of the Hungarian Revolution was toughest on Mary Kok, perhaps the finest of the Dutch swimmers and the world’s most prolific record holder (10) in 1955. The versatile Mary (no relation to Hall of Famer Ada Kok) held the middle distance freestyle records and was one of the first world record holders in the four stroke individual medley and the butterfly stroke. After the 1956 Olympics, Mary Kok became one of the world’s greatest marathon swimmers. She is currently married to Kees Oudegeest coaching in Spain.
Happy Birthday Elena Vaitsekhovskaia !!!
ELENA VAITSEKHOVSKAIA (URS) 1992 Honor Diver
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1976, gold (platform); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1974, bronze (platform); 1977, silver (platform).
Elena Vaitsekhovskaia of Russia surprised the world in 1976 when she won the platform diving gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She had to beat the defending champion Ulrike Knape of Sweden to do it.
“I didn’t think I would win”, said the shy, young diver. “Here in Montreal, the fans are cheering for the Canadians and Americans”.
The finals were extremely close with never more than nine points separating the first six divers through the four compulsory dives. Amazingly, after five dives only three points separated first place Irina Kalanina of the Soviet Union from sixth place Melissa Briley of the United States.
On the sixth dive, Elena took the lead, five points ahead of Debbie Wilson of the U.S.A. and seven ahead of Knape. Going into the seventh and final dive, Elena and three other divers were within less than eight points of each other.
Ulrika Knape then performed like a defending gold medalist should, scoring a whopping 68.18 points on an inward 2 1/2 somersault to vault in to a close second place position. The pressure was on Elena to perform the same dive. She coolly and calmly stepped up and hit the dive to become the first Russian woman to win a gold medal in Olympic competition history. Knape took the silver and Debbie Wilson the bronze.
Elena had entered the international scene in 1974 at the European Championship when she placed third on the platform, helping her team win the Fern Cup for most points scored in men’s’ and women’s diving. Following the Olympics in Montreal, she competed one more time in 1977 at the European Championships, placing second and beating teammate Irina Kalanina, who went on to win the Springboard event in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Elena is currently a diving publicist for television and the media.
Happy Birthday Jeff Farrell !!!
JEFF FARRELL (USA) 1968 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1960 gold (4x200m freestyle relay; 4×100 medley relay); Appendectomy 5 days before 1960 Olympic Trials; 1960 had world standard times in 100yd, 100m, 110yd, 200yd, 200m, 220yd freestyle; WORLD RECORDS: 4x200m freestyle; 4x100m medley relay; NATIONAL AAU CHAMPION: 1960.
No man ever overcame a greater handicap to make the U.S. Olympic swimming team than Jeff Farrell, the world’s premier freestyle sprinter at the time of the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Farrell, with world standard times at 100 yds, 100 meters, 110 yds., 200 yds., 200 meters, and 220 yds., was considered a shoo-in for the Olympic team when he came down with acute appendicitis six days before the Olympic Trials at Detroit. The operation was a success, but Farrell, wrapped in yards of adhesive tape, was considered in no shape to swim. He refused a special dispensation and took his chances in the sudden-death trials that mark U.S. team selection methods. Farrell placed fourth, and qualified for the relays. By Rome, Farrell was fully recovered and anchored both U.S.A. men’s relays to Olympic and world records for his two Olympic gold medals.
Farrell’s whole swimming career was a classic example of determination. A good high school swimmer from Wichita, Kansas, he enrolled at Oklahoma, talked athletic director Bud Wilkinson into hiring Matt Mann, the retired Michigan coach. Under Mann, Farrell became a Conference champion, worked his way up to the finals in NCAA and NAAU championships. Just about the time Farrell was ready to make his run for the top, he wrecked his shoulder in a dormitory wrestling match. His senior year in college, with a long scar marking the shoulder operation, he was a solid third in the Nationals. Pretty good swimming, but Farrell was not ready to quit. He became a Navy ensign and was assigned to the ROTC at Yale where he worked out with retired Yale coach Bob Kiphuth, and finally reached his potential without injury. Farrell was unbeatable that winter at Yale, winning the National AAUs. Everyone–Matt Mann, Bob Kiphuth, the swimmers–agreed it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Even Farrell must have figured he was finally home free until the appendectomy came to handicap him once more.
