USA Swimming Hires Kevin Ring as New CEO After Year-Long Search
by David Rieder – Senior Writer
04 September 2025
USA Swimming Hires Kevin Ring as New CEO After Year-Long Search
A year after the job initially became vacant, USA Swimming has landed on its new leader. Kevin Ring, who has been President of Legends Golf for the past three years, takes over the organization during the critical leadup to an Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ring becomes the full-time leader of the national governing body following a stretch of instability. Former CEO Tim Hinchey resigned following the Paris Olympics, and the process to secure his replacement has been drawn out.
“Swimming is one of the world’s most inspiring and global sports, and I am honored to join USA Swimming at such an important moment,” Ring said in USA Swimming’s announcement of the hire. “There is an extraordinary opportunity to grow participation, connect with new fans and develop innovative partnerships that will fuel success for the entire swimming community. I look forward to working with our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and partners to expand the reach and impact of this incredible sport.”
Ring takes over after three years as head of Golf at Legends, a data-focused company that partnered with the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America to drive innovation and sponsorships. Before that, Ring worked for the PGA of America as Chief Revenue Officer and previously Chief Marketing Officer. In those roles, he focused on marketing, partnerships, hospitality, ticket sales and merchandising.
Ring has also worked for IMG Consulting, working with figures in golf as well as Major League Baseball, tennis, Formula One racing and the 2002 World Cup for soccer. Ring has never worked in swimming, but he was once involved in communications for the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Even without experience in the sport, USA Swimming believes Ring’s experience has prepared him to “lead USA Swimming’s strategy to expand membership, increase revenue and maximize the momentum of the sport. The organization under Ring is also committing to focusing “on the long-term health of the sport in the United States.” The announcement also revealed that Ring will take over as CEO of the USA Swimming Foundation.
Natalie Coughlin, a 12-time Olympic medalist and International Swimming Hall of Famer, is set to take over as Chair of the USA Swimming Board of Directors, and she endorsed Ring’s appointment to the role. “His commitment to empowering athlete leadership, strengthening coach development, and bringing all stakeholders to the table is exactly what USA Swimming needs to move forward,” Coughlin said. “I’m confident his leadership will make a lasting impact on our sport.”
Current board chair Chris Brearton had similar praise, noting that Ring entered his new role with a “track record in driving participation and revenue growth.” Brearton indicated that Ring was committed to “the vital role of supporting athletes and coaches at every stage of their journey and ensuring they have the resources to succeed. His ability to bring demonstrated best practices from other sports to empower our athletes, coaches and the broader swimming community will be instrumental as we head into LA 2028 and beyond.”
The change in leadership at USA Swimming was put in motion after the U.S. national team struggled compared to expectations at major meets, including at the Paris Games. Weeks after that, as numerous issues within the sport became evident at home, Hinchey and former National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko left the organization.
Chrissi Rawak was named to the CEO role in February, but the arrangement fell through after nine days due to a SafeSport complaint.
Shana Ferguson had been interim CEO of USA Swimming from August until March, when she departed to join the LA 2028 organizing committee. Former USA Swimming board chair Bob Vincent had been temporarily in charge since then.
Speaking at the American Swim Coaches Association Convention Wednesday, Vincent said he accepted the role “because I’m a volunteer. That’s what volunteers do. They volunteer. I stepped up to do it, and I’m so glad that I did.” Vincent said that during his tenure, he focused on putting employees in position to do their jobs well while giving the incoming CEO flexibility to shape the future staff. “All of us need to work together to help the new CEO succeed,” he said.
During the time when USA Swimming was without a full-time leader, it did hire a new leader for the National Team, with former Stanford women’s coach Greg Meehan taking on the role in April.
The lack of a full-time USA Swimming CEO came into focus following the American team struggling at the recent World Aquatics Championships, with the majority of team members battling gastrointestinal illness. The organization has come under fire from high-profile figures in the sport, including recently-retired all-time greats Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte plus figures from further in the past such as longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Rowdy Gaines.
In particular, Phelps has outlined “my frustrations with the current state of the sport.” He clarified that his criticism was never directed at the actual U.S. swimmers. Instead, Phelps’ comments were aimed upward. He wrote, “No one really wants to talk about how broken USA Swimming has become. He called for accountability and transparency while saying indicating that the organization’s leadership was “failing.”
Now, it will fall on Ring to lead the USA Swimming’s rebuilding efforts. His goals will surely include mending fences with Phelps and other disaffected veterans while working on revitalizing membership and fundraising opportunities to capitalize on the looming Olympics on home soil.
Appreciating the Career of ISHOF Honoree Jesse Vassallo
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
01 September 2025
Olympic success—and even opportunity—doesn’t simply rely on talent. A confluence of good timing and fortune is also required. Ask Michael Phelps. Sure, his unmatched skill set was the driving force to his record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. But without Jason Lezak’s epic anchor leg in the 400-meter freestyle relay, Phelps would have left his third Games with seven gold medals and a silver.
Yes, Phelps would have been celebrated for such a showing. But when Lezak powered the United States to an improbable comeback against France, Phelps’ pursuit of an iconic eight Olympic golds remained intact—and was eventually achieved. And, fair or not, that additional title elevated Phelps to unique status.
In the case of Jesse Vassallo, external factors denied the multi-event star from attaining greater success in a career that still can be described as special.
A RISING STAR
Born in Puerto Rico, Vassallo emerged as a phenom at a young age. He was an age-group record holder and ranked among the elite performers in the world in multiple events as a 15-year-old. Due to his precociousness, Vassallo’s family initially relocated to Florida and then California, the latter move designed to allow Vassallo to train with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, and under the direction of Coach Mark Schubert.
Photo Courtesy: Chris Georges
As Vassallo continued to mold his talent under Schubert, a future Hall of Famer and multi-time Olympic coach, the teen targeted the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. But in what was Vassallo’s first speedbump in the pursuit of Olympic glory, he never got that chance. With Puerto Rico requiring a year of residency to represent the nation on the Olympic stage, Vassallo—now living in the United States—was deemed ineligible.
Although the Olympics would have to wait, Vassallo wasn’t about to hang in the shadows. Given the chance to compete at the 1976 AAU Championships in Philadelphia, Vassallo captured gold in the 400 individual medley and was the runnerup in the 1500 freestyle. Vassallo wasn’t the only athlete who used the competition as a proving ground. South African Jonty Skinner, denied an Olympic berth due to his nation’s ban from the Games for its apartheid policies, set a world record in the 100 freestyle.
For Vassallo, his trip to Philly can be considered a major launching point in his career.
THE ROAD TO MOSCOW
Riding the momentum generated in Philadelphia, Vassallo began a march toward stardom in 1977 that was supposed to culminate in a bid to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. A world-class performer in the 1500 freestyle, both backstroke events and both medley events, Vassallo focused on the 1978 World Championships as the site of his international breakthrough.
After setting a world record in the 400 IM at the World Champs Trials, Vassallo was even better in West Berlin, as he further lowered his global standard. Clocking a time of 4:20.05, Vassallo captured gold by more than two seconds over the Soviet Union’s Sergey Fesenko. More, he earned a gold medal in the 200 backstroke and added a silver medal in the 200 medley.
Piggybacking on his World Champs showing, Vassallo only enhanced his status at the 1979 Pan American Games, which were held in his homeland of Puerto Rico. At Pan Ams, Vassallo stormed to gold medals in both medley events, and picked up a silver medal in the 200 backstroke. Vassallo’s triumph in the shorter medley arrived in world-record time, and there was no doubt he was on track for significant Olympic success. It was also meaningful to excel in front of the Puerto Rican crowd.
“I was a little nervous about swimming at the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, a little unsure how the people would like me having gone to the United States to train,” Vassallo said. “But they were great. Once I got there, I knew I wanted to swim super-fast for the people and for my family.”
With rumors swirling following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, United States President Jimmy Carter confirmed in early 1980 that the United States would boycott the Moscow Games. The decision robbed hundreds of athletes—including Vassallo—of their Olympic dream. Shortly after the Olympics, the United States held its Olympic Trials in which the athletes chased the podium times from Moscow. Vassallo, not surprisingly, was a star of the meet—and he made President Carter aware of what was stolen when the White House invited the U.S. Olympians to Washington for a special event.
“(Carter) reached out to shake my hand and he asked, ‘How would you have done in Moscow,’” Vassallo once recalled of his White House visit. “And I said, ‘I would have won two golds and a silver.’ And he just gave me this (pained) look. He didn’t ask anybody else that question.”
AN OLYMPIAN AT LAST
Following the 1980 campaign, many American athletes faced a difficult decision. Should they remain in the sport and chase a berth to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles? Or, was it time to walk away? Vassallo hung on and became an NCAA champion at the University of Miami before a knee injury led to retirement.
Eventually, Vassallo opted for a comeback and—deservingly—earned the chance to compete on the biggest stage in sports. Vassallo qualified for the Los Angeles Games in the 200 backstroke and 400 individual medley. While Vassallo narrowly missed the final of the 200 backstroke, placing ninth in prelims, he advanced to the championship heat of the 400 IM. As Canadian Alex Baumann rocketed to a world record, Vassallo finished fourth, a little less than a second behind Australian bronze medalist Rob Woodhouse.
For some, the 1984 Games served as a moment of redemption for what was taken from them in 1980. The likes of Tracy Caulkins, Mary T. Meagher and Rowdy Gaines can be counted in that group. Vassallo was not at his peak in 1984, but he got the chance to experience the Olympic realm.
REDEFINING THE SPORT
Beyond his multi-event excellence, Vassallo was an innovator—his influence still a factor in the sport today. Although American backstroke ace David Berkoff is widely credited with emphasizing underwaters as a tactical advantage in the late 1980s, it was Vassallo who initially pioneered the notion of staying submerged and maximizing the power of his kick.
At 5-9, Vassallo often found himself dwarfed by the competition. Consequently, it was easy to be thrown around his lane, lost in the wake of giants. To escape the waves, Vassallo simply stayed underwater for a longer duration, benefiting from the strength in his legs and his kicking technique. Berkoff ultimately enhanced the maneuver, sometimes staying underwater for as long as 35 meters, until rule changes limited the underwater approach to 10 meters and the current rule of 15 meters.
“I decided to do the underwaters coming off the starts, and it worked pretty well,” Vassallo said in the documentary, How the Dolphin Kick Changed Swimming Forever. “After that, I continued to develop it and use it in my turns and stuff like that. I might be the one that originated and started this, but (others) really took it through to the Olympic level.”
A LEGEND OF THE SPORT
Dedicated fans with a deep respect for the history of the sport know all about Jesse Vassallo and his wide-ranging talent. As a 1997 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, his accomplishments are celebrated. It is critical, however, to continue our appreciation for Jesse Vassallo, to recognize just how much he achieved and for the younger generations to acknowledge his impact as a trailblazer.
Mary T is Back in the Water and in the Record Books
One of the greatest female swimmers of all-time, known during her career as “Mary T” surprised a lot of people when she got back in the pool last October and started swimming again. What was not a surprise was when she decided to compete, and world records started dropping.
Mary T. Meagher, of Louisville now, Mary Plant, of Atlanta, is probably best remembered for her performances at Brown Deer, Wisconsin, at the 1981 U.S. Swimming National Championships, where she set world records in both the 100 and 200 meter butterfly. The times for both records were considered astonishing, especially the record of 57.93 seconds that Meagher set in the 100 meters, a drop of over a second. Both times would stand as the world records for nearly two decades. Some have argued that Meagher’s records in the butterfly were among the most impressive records ever set in sport, ranking among such other noteworthy records as Bob Beamon‘s long jump world record in 1968. These two swims led Meagher to being named a two-time Female World Swimmer of the Year.
After her career ended, Meagher married speed skater, Mike Plant and they had two children, Maddie and Drew.
Fast forward 35 years. Mary is back in the pool, swimming, and really enjoying it! She has been one to always stay active and in good shape. “Its cut into a couple of other activities, I’ve enjoyed, so I’ll probably back off a little. I’ll get back into more golf, biking and pickleball. Always feel good after a hard practice though.”
Mary recently swam at the SPMS SW Zone LCM Championships in Mission Viejo, California, breaking Laura Val’s 14-year old World Record from 2011, in the 200-meter butterfly (60-64 women).
During her professional career, Plant won five Olympic medals, during two Olympic Games, 1984 and 1988. She held the World Record in the 100-meter fly from 1980 until 1999 and the 200 fly from 1979 until 2000, setting those records when she was 15 and 14, respectively.
At the beginning of this Summer, 2025, Mary’s daughter Maddie, gave birth to her first child, Kase, making Mary a grandmother.
Let’s hope we continue to see Mary in the pool!
Mary was inducted into ISHOF in 1993, read her bio here: https://ishof.org/honoree/honoree-mary-meagher/
September Featured Honoree: Betty Becker Pinkston (USA) and her Memorabilia
Each month ISHOF will feature an Honoree and some of their aquatic memorabilia, that they have so graciously either given or loaned to us. Since we are closed, and everything is in storage, we wanted to still be able to highlight some of the amazing artifacts that ISHOF has and to be able to share these items with you.
We continue in September 2025, with 1967 ISHOF Honoree, Betty Becker Pinkston, Honor Diver. Betty donated many fabulous things to ISHOF, and we want to share some of them with you now. Also below is his ISHOF Honoree bio that was written the year he was inducted.
ISHOF Honoree Duke Kahanamoku Deserves to be in World’s Greatest Athlete Conversation
Swimming World Managing Editor Dan D’Addona with the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Waikiki. Photo Courtesy: D’Addona family
by Dan D’Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor
25 August 2025
When my parents decided to take a family trip to Hawaii for their 50th anniversary, they asked each of us what the most important thing we wanted to do was.
Mine was easy.
I wanted my picture taken with the Duke Kahanamoku statue at Waikiki Beach.
The famous statue has welcomed millions to the island of Oahu on its most famous beach. I wanted to feel a connection with one of the world’s greatest swimmers and the godfather of surfing. But I was astonished when most of the members of my family were like, “Oh Duke, he’s the surfer, right?”
Right, but they were floored when I reminded them he was also and Olympic swimming champion at two Games. Not only that, but he was an innovator, developing the flutter kick, which led him to gold in the 100 freestyle in 1912 in Stockholm and 1920 in Antwerp.
Before he was known as the godfather of surfing, he was the greatest swimmer in the world.
Somehow that has been easily forgotten over the years.
The debate of the world’s greatest athlete in history is a good one with so many ways to go. Would it be the best at a sport, far superior than others, like Babe Ruth, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Serena Williams or Usain Bolt? Or is it a multi-sport star like Jackie Robinson (baseball, football, track), Jim Thorpe (baseball, football, track), Babe Didrickson Zaharias (track, golf, baseball, basketball) Jim Brown (football, lacrosse), Bo Jackson (football, baseball), Althea Gibson (tennis, golf) or Deion Sanders (football, baseball).
Or even a pioneer like Robinson, Thorpe, Bill Russell, Jesse Owens or Billie Jean King?
But Duke’s name is rarely brought up in that group despite being a multi-sport star. Not just star, but pioneer.
He is remembered as a pioneer in surfing and has his statue (and another in Huntington Beach, California) with a surf board. But his flutter kick and sheer dominance in the 100 meters stood out before Johnny Weissmuller and generations that followed.
The Duke was a celebrity during his time and had moments with Babe Ruth and other legends who came to Hawaii.
But for some reason, his legend faded a bit over the years, while others did not.
Perhaps it is because Hawaii is so far away. Perhaps it is because he was more of a blue-collar type of a hero who didn’t say a ton or invite controversy. Perhaps it was because he competed before television and there is not much footage of him. Perhaps it was because he was Hawaiian and one of the first American sports stars of color.
Perhaps it is a combination of these things.
But whatever the reason, the Duke is worth remembering as an Olympic swimming champion and pioneer.
The word spreads slowly to those who visit the statue, and every couple of minutes, there is an audible, “Oh, he was an Olympic swimmer, too?” comment from a visitor reading the plaque on the statue.
Yes he was, and the Duke is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the world, and deserves to be in that conversation every time.
Editor’s Note: For more info on the Duke, check out the biography “Waterman” by David Davis.
Do you have your tickets yet for the ISHOF Awards and Masters Honoree Induction Evening, Saturday, September 13, 2025
Photo Courtsey Sonesta Beach Fort Lauderdale
ISHOF is less than 3 weeks aways from hosting this year’s Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) Honoree Induction Ceremony along with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal, and the ISHOF Specialty Awards on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, located at 999 Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. To make your reservation, click here: International Swimming Hall of Fame the deadline is fast approaching and we are quickly selling out!
MISHOF’s Class of Honorees includes swimmers, Charlotte Davis and Diann Uustal USA, Tony Goodwin (AUS) and Hiroshi Matsumoto (JPN); Diver, Rolf Sperling (GER), Artistic Swimmer, Joyce Corner* (CAN), Water Polo Player, Gary Payne (AUS) and Contributor for Artistic Swimming, Barbara McNamee (USA). “It’s quite a remarkable group”, said Bruce Wigo, ISHOF Historian, and former CEO; “We look forward to welcoming them all to Fort Lauderdale this Fall!”
In addition, we will be presenting the annual ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal (formerly the Paragon Awards 1996-2022). The ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal are presented annually to individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to aquatics. This year’s recipients include Craig Hunter (GBR) for Competitive Swimming, Mitch Geller (CAN) for Diving, Ana Maria Lobo (BRA) for Artistic/Synchronized Swimming; Bret Beecher Bernard (USA) for Water Polo, Lisa Zarda (USA) for Aquatic Safety and Mick and Sue Nelson (USA) for Recreational Swimming.
The ISHOF Specialty Awards will also be presented on September 13th in conjunction with the other awards. This year’s 2025 ISHOF Specialty Award Recipients include, Barry Goldwater, Jr. (USA) – 2025 Every Child A Swimmer Award, Ludmilla Rosengren (SWE) – 2025 Virginia Hunt Newman Award, Anita Mitchell (USA) – 2025 Buck Dawson Author’s Award: “God Took My Arms but He Gave Me THIS GIFT ~ The Story of Abbas Karimi, PLY”, Terri Mitchell (USA) – 2025 John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award, and Cynthia Potter (USA) – 2025 Al Schoenfield Media Award.
In addition, Richard “Dick” Shoulberg (USA) will be receiving ISHOF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to the MISHOF Induction, the ISHOF Aquatic Awards and the ISHOF Specialty Awards, ISHOF will once again be the site of the ISHOF (Coaches) Clinic, who recently partnered with the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). Last month ASCA announced it was officially taking over the management and operation of the longstanding and popular clinics, including the Central States and Eastern States Swim Clinics, as well as the ISHOF Clinic effective in 2025. These clinics, renowned for their high caliber coach speakers and overall contributions to the professional development of swim coaches and athletes for more than four decades, will now be under ASCA’s guidance and leadership, partnering with ISHOF Honoree and Board Member, Coach Mark Schubert.
Make your plans now to attend the event, Saturday, September 13, 2025! To buy tickets, Click here: https://halloffameswimshop.com/collections/2020-ishof-induction-tickets/products/tickets-ishof-2025-awards-masters-induction-ceremony
For more information, Call Meg Keller-Marvin at 570.594.4367
ISHOF Honoree Michael Read Achieves Swim Medal Dream After 70 Years
Alice Cunningham, BBC News, Suffolk
An 84-year-old man said it felt “amazing” to achieve his dream of becoming a world swimming champion after 70 years.
Michael Read MBE, who lives in Ipswich, started swimming at the age of 14 and went on to swim the English Channel 33 times.
At the end of July and throughout part of August, he competed in several events in the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore.
He won gold in the 3km open water swim and took home silver medals in other events in the pool.
Mr Read trains at Crown Pools in Ipswich Monday to Friday
“It feels absolutely amazing, it was a 70-year dream,” Mr Read said.
“I’ve always said to myself, even if I have to keep going until I’m 100, I will be a World Masters Champion, so now I’ve ticked that off at 84.
“I’ll have to think of some more things now.”
Mr Read is targeting more races later this year
Mr Read said during his open water race on 27 July, the water temperature had been “unbelievably hot” and “close to the maximum temperature permitted”.
He added that conditions varied, and he battled rough waters as well as currents.
While other competitors had dropped out of the race, Mr Read still had to complete the race in 90 minutes.
He came across the finish line in 87 minutes and 32 seconds.
Mr Read also brought home a silver medal in the 400m individual medley (IM) in the pool, as well as several others in the relay events.
Overall, he said it was a “great experience” and he was now looking ahead to the Swim England National Masters Championships in October in Sheffield.
‘A love affair’
Asked why he loved swimming, Mr Read said: “It’s the other way around, it is a love affair.
“I do just love it. Other people like coffee or cigarettes or doing other things, for me swimming is the ultimate.
“It keeps you fit, it enables you to go to lovely places as I’ve been to, I make friends, I see the world, I’ve just got so much to be thankful for.”
Why We Do, What We Do; ISHOF’s Reason for Being……
As many of you may know, the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) recently celebrated it’s 60th anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore during the World Aquatics World Championships. ISHOF is based in Fort Lauderdale, so why, you ask, would you take your biggest event on the road? Well, there are multiple reasons. One is that we ARE the INTERNATIONAL Swimming Hall of Fame and it is a long way to travel for our friends on the other side of the world every year; another reason is that by taking our ceremony to an event like the World Championships, it broadens our reach to others in swimming that may never have had an opportunity to experience an induction ceremony, but because we are at Worlds, they get to experience an induction first hand. And today, because of social media, we learned how some of those attendees felt about the event.
Below is a post made by a young women named Pauline Yang, who attended the ISHOF Honoree Induction for the first time ever. Pauline is a superstar in her own right. She is a world traveller, a classical pianist and a U.S. Arts Envoy for the State Department. She attended the Honoree event in Singapore on July 28, in support of her friend, Honoree, Ous Mellouli. Simply put, her post is the reason, we at ISHOF, so what we do, day in and day out. Thank you for sharing Pauline!
Pauline Yang is in Singapore.
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I’ve been to a lot of cool events in my life, but this 60th Annual Honoree Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2025 into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) has got to be one of the very coolest ever.
I was literally surrounded by greatness through so many generations of legends in swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming where even “just” winning an Olympic gold medal isn’t enough to be inducted into ISHOF. Despite being friends with so many Olympic medalists, I was still so excited to get to see Kirsty Coventry (the new IOC President! ), Dara Torres, Anthony Ervin, Chad le Clos, and so many others who I had only seen in my swimming magazines as a kid and who I had only watched on TV before. It was also surreal to be seated at the same table as Coach David Marsh and with Jack Alexy’s parents and incredible to discover that a few more of my friends are Hall of Famers which I didn’t even realize!
Most special of all was getting to be there in person to honor and celebrate my legendary friend, fellow USC Trojan/6-time Olympian (!) Ous Mellouli, who has won 66 international medals and became the first swimmer in history to win Olympic gold in both the pool and in Open Water, winning the 1500m free at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 10km Open Water at the 2012 London Olympics, a feat henceforth known as “The Mellouli Double.”
It’s no secret that Olympic athletes/coaches have been some of the biggest sources of inspiration for me in both my personal life and professional career, and this absolutely continues to be the case. The amount of new inspiration gained from all the greats in that room that day was truly immeasurable and most certainly lifelong and life-changing, and I bow down to them all. #travelingpauline
#ishof #worldaquatics #singapore #cityoffortlauderdale #worldchampionships #swimming #diving #waterpolo #artisticswimming #openwaterswimming
2024 MISHOF ~ Australian Masters Swimmer Tony Goodwin swims at Masters Worlds and receives his Honoree Induction Award in Singapore
Earlier this week, while in Singapore, I met with this years Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer, Tony Goodwin, of Australia, at the World Aquatics Masters World Championships. Tony was on his last day of competition, where he has won all his races in the 85-89 age group.
Unfortunatelty, Tony is unable to travel to Fort Lauderdale from Australia to be with us for his induction, and since we were going to be in Singapore, we took his Honoree award to him. He was thriled to say the least!
While in Singapore at Worlds, Tony swam in five events and won five gold medals. He competed in the 100 meter breaststroke, swimming only 1.5 seconds outside his world record; swimming in the 50 fly, he set the competition record; in the 200 IM, he swam in NSW (Australia) record time; in the 200 Breaststroke, he swam just three seconds outside WR time; and in the 50 breaststroke he swam just 0.8 seconds outside WR time.
Tony lives about two hours south of Sydney in the Southern Highlands, as both his children live nearby. His wife of 62 years died in 2023 from Motor Neurone Disease. He has always competed for Manly Masters (since 1993) despite not living in the area. They were one of the first ever Masters Clubs, beginning in 1975 ~ It is their 50 year anniversary this year as part of Masters Swimming New South Wales. He trains locally by himself and has never been on a team. Tony says, “By now I should know what to do.” With five World Championship gold medals around his neck, it is clear he does!
We will all miss Tony in Fort Lauderdale on Septemeber 13, but he will be there with us in spirit! Congrations to Tony Goodwin on his induction into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame and his incredible swimming in Singapore! And now, he is now off to Turkey for a well desevered holiday!
On This Date! 2019 Honoree Jason Lezak and the Greatest Relay Performance in History (Video)
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
11 August 2025
On This Date: Jason Lezak And His Beijing Anchor For The Ages (Video)
When Jason Lezak entered the water for the United States on the anchor leg of the United States’ 400 freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the race was seemingly over. On August 11, Lezak trailed Frenchman Alain Bernard by a body length and overcoming that deficit appeared impossible. But Lezak, behind the greatest anchor leg in history, gradually reeled in Bernard to give the United States an improbable gold medal.
History will remember Jason Lezak as an accomplished sprint freestyler, one of the better produced in those events over the past few decades. He’ll be remembered as an individual Olympic medalist, a lengthy journey leading the native Southern Californian to that status. He’ll also be remembered for a shortfall on the Olympic stage, the Athens Games of 2004 hardly memorable.
More than anything, though, Lezak will be remembered for what he managed to accomplish in less than 47 seconds on the morning of August 11, 2008. Putting together what is the greatest relay performance in the history of the sport, Lezak carried the United States to the gold medal in the 400 freestyle relay. It sounds so simple. It was anything but an easy task.
At the Olympics in Sydney, Lezak was supposed to be part of a 400 freestyle relay which maintained the United States’ legacy in the event. Never before had the U.S., the dominant swim nation in the world, lost the event at an Olympic Games in which it competed. It was perfect, 7-for-7. Claiming gold medal No. 8 was just a formality, right? Wrong.
Racing against an Australian quartet fueled by 17,000 spectators cheering on the home team, the American streak came to a sudden and jolting halt. As anchormen Ian Thorpe and Gary Hall Jr. approached the wall for the finish, the outcome remained in doubt. But when the final result flashed onto the scoreboard, there it was: Gold for Australia, and the end of American supremacy.
Lezak managed a gold medal in Sydney in the 400 medley relay, a reward for swimming the freestyle leg of the United States’ preliminary team. However, Olympic pain again struck four years later. Again, Lezak was able to win gold in the 400 medley relay, this time handling the anchor leg for the United States in the championship final. But what preceded that success was difficult to swallow.
Early in the meet, the United States watched its chance of regaining the 400 freestyle relay title die a painful death. A horrid leadoff leg by Ian Crocker buried the U.S. from the start and while the middle legs were solid, Lezak was passed in the final meters for the silver medal by the Netherlands’ Pieter van den Hoogenband. The United States, in Lezak’s two Olympic appearances in the event, had gone from perfect to silver to bronze.
And the worst was still to come.
Having set the American record in the 100 freestyle at the United States Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California, Lezak was among the top medal contenders in Athens. If he couldn’t stay with van den Hoogenband, the reigning champion and world-record holder, he surely would get in for the silver or bronze. Instead, Lezak bombed completely, unable to advance beyond the preliminaries. It was akin to Tiger Woods – at the top of his game – firing rounds of 83-84 at the Masters and missing the cut by an abysmal margin.
Lezak had no one to blame but himself. There was no illness to cite, nor a botched start or turn. Lezak simply misjudged the swim, thinking he could ease off the accelerator and still cruise into the semifinal round. If there is a place to not make that kind of error, it’s at the Olympic Games.
“I just didn’t swim my race smart, and I paid for it,” said Lezak, stating the obvious.
By the time the 2008 Olympics in Beijing were ready to unfold, Lezak had overcome the disappointments of Athens. He finished fourth in the 100 freestyle at the 2005 World Championships and placed fifth in the 100 freestyle at the 2007 World Championships. Along the way, there were additional gold medals in relay duty, including triumphs in the 400 free relay at each of the aforementioned World Champs. In part due to Lezak, the United States was on the cusp of regaining Olympic glory in an event it once owned.
Despite the United States’ recent success in international action, the road to Olympic redemption was not going to be free of obstacles. Looming largely – both figuratively and literally – was France. Not only had the French posted impressive times throughout the year, they went into the final with what was supposed to be a trump card in anchor Alain Bernard. From a muscular standpoint, Bernard could have doubled for the Incredible Hulk, and he was also the world-record holder in the 100 freestyle. If he had the lead going into the final leg, the race was over.
So confident was Bernard that he engaged in some trash-talking in the days leading up to the 400 freestyle relay. Of an impending matchup with the Americans, Bernard didn’t mince words.
“The Americans?” Bernard asked rhetorically. “We’re going to smash them. That’s what we came here for.”
Not surprisingly, the French commentary didn’t sit well in the American camp. The quartet of Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Lezak used the foreign bravado as motivation. For Phelps, it was a common strategy. For years, Phelps used slights – perceived or otherwise – to ignite his competitive fire. Now, he was sharing that tactic with teammates.
The Water Cube was electric as the relay finalists were introduced just before the final and the United States used that energy to bolt to the lead at the midway point. While Phelps led off with an American-record performance, Weber-Gale was equally strong. That tandem provided the U.S. with a cushion of .43 over France. It was an advantage which quickly disappeared. With Frenchman Fred Bousquet splitting 46.63 on the third leg, to the 47.65 of Jones, France had turned its deficit into a lead of .59. And with Bernard on the end of the French relay, few thought Lezak would get the job done. That group included Lezak himself.
“The thought really entered my mind for a split second,” Lezak said. “There’s no way.”
More than a half-second after Bernard entered the water, Lezak flew off the blocks. He flailed through the water like had never done before, producing a superb first lap. Yet, as Bernard and Lezak flipped for the final 50 meters home, Lezak still trailed by a noticeable margin. With 25 meters left, Lezak was still noticeably behind. But that’s when the race started to change.
In a tactical error, Bernard was racing on the left side of his lane. That decision was a faulty one as it allowed Lezak, swimming on the right side of his lane, to get a draft off the Frenchman. With each stroke, Lezak cut into the lead of Bernard and a slam-dunk victory for France became more and more in doubt. Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines, the NBC duo calling the swimming action, had to reverse field on their call that Lezak simply couldn’t pull off such a huge comeback. Then again, no one in the venue thought Lezak could track down Bernard. Well…
“I was just thinking to myself, if there’s anyone on this team or in the world that is going to do it, it was going to be Jason,” Weber-Gale said.
With a few meters to go, it still appeared France would earn the gold medal. But as Bernard and Lezak lunged for the wall and stretched their arms out to activate the touchpad, it was Lezak who got there first. Thanks to an epic anchor leg, officially in the books at 46.06, the United States prevailed by eight hundredths of a second. The American team – the relay which won and teammates in the athletes’ section of the stands – erupted. Phelps flexed on deck, hugs were shared and Lezak was fondly patted on the head. In the adjacent lane, Bernard was crestfallen.
No one had ever come close to splitting 46.06 before, and Lezak needed every bit of that swim to send the Americans to the top step of the medals podium. In the United States, where swimming is generally an afterthought on the sporting landscape, the victory became one of the biggest stories of the day. It was only the second final of eight for Phelps during his quest to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in a single Olympiad, but it turned out to be a major moment in Phelps’ history-making week.
“It would have to be in the unbelievable category,” said United States head coach Eddie Reese, regarded as one of the world’s best in his profession. “That’s the biggest word I know. It had to be the best ever and it was the best ever. That’s the kind of anchor you dream of. When you put the world-record holder in on the end of a relay and you go into the pool behind him, the chance of you beating him is slim and none. There’s never been (something like that) in my memory – not running down somebody that holds a world record and that’s on their game. That was incredible.”
Part of the reason for Lezak’s comeback was the mentality of atoning for his previous two Olympic experiences in the 400 freestyle relay. He looked at his relay leg in parts, rather than as an overwhelming chore. He needed to chisel away, which is exactly how his leg unfolded. Basically, Lezak was perfect and used all 100 of his meters to come out on top.
“I started thinking, ‘This guy is pretty far ahead, almost a body length. But I’m not going to give up. This is doable,’” Lezak said in analyzing the race. “I really never think at all. My best races, I’ve never remembered. Today, I was talking and talking to myself.”
Just how remarkable was Lezak’s tracking down of Bernard? Three days after the final of the 400 freestyle relay, Bernard recovered from his emotional devastation to win the gold medal in the 100 freestyle. Some argue that Bernard choked under the pressure of anchoring his country at a critical time. But a choke artist does not come back and flourish like Bernard did in the 100 free, which is widely considered the blue-ribbon event in the sport.
No, Lezak simply rose to the occasion like no relay swimmer before him, or since. The 400 freestyle relay had been an albatross, and Lezak competed with the desire to rid himself of the burden of 2000 and 2004. Individually, he also walked away with a jubilant feeling. While Bernard won the gold medal, Lezak earned the first solo medal of his Olympic career, sharing the bronze medal in the 100 free with Brazil’s Cesar Cielo.
“I was obviously shooting for the gold medal, but just to win any medal, it feels really good,” Lezak said. “It feels like everything I’ve done over my career has paid off. The huge mistake I made four years ago by taking the preliminaries lightly has been eating at me. For me to go out there and accomplish that medal, I’m really excited. … Obviously it doesn’t top the relay from the other night, but it’s something that has really pushed me to swim the last four years.”
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Lezak followed his heroics at the Beijing Games by narrowly qualifying for the 2012 Olympics in London. While he didn’t get the chance to race in another championship final, Lezak competed during the preliminaries of the 400 freestyle relay. When the United States won the silver medal in the final, Lezak earned the last of his eight Olympic medals. Ironically, it was France which captured the gold medal when Yannick Agnel channeled his inner Lezak and recorded a come-from-behind victory in the closing meters.
Shortly after the London Games, Lezak announced his retirement. As he bid farewell to the sport, Lezak fondly recalled the most special moment of his career, and perhaps the greatest race in swimming history.
“No matter how my individual performances went at Worlds, Olympics, and so on, I always wanted to step up on relays for the team and our country,” he said. “The 400 free relay was one of the greatest moments of my career. I was a part of six consecutive years (1999-2004) of losing that relay at international competitions after the USA had never lost before, which included two Olympics. It felt great to bring the title back to the USA.”