ISHOF to Induct First Tunisian ever in Singapore, Open Water Swimmer, Ous Mellouli
On Monday, July 28, 2025 in Singapore, ISHOF will induct its very first Honoree from the country of Tunisia. Ous Mellouli, both pool and open water swimmer, will be inducted as an Open Water Swimmer. He won 66 international medals in his extraordinary career, which includes six Olympic Games, beginning in 2000 and ending at the Tokyo 2020/21 Games. At the London Games in 2012, Mellouli won a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle in the pool and three days later he jumped into the Serpentine and won the gold medal in the 10 km, which became known as the “Mellouli Double”. In addition, Mellouli won a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle four years previously in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Ous may have finished in 12th place, but it was just seven seconds behind gold medalist, Ferry Weertman.
Oussama Mellouli Tunisia Gold Medal
Men’s Marathon 10Km Open Water Swimming – Nuoto Acque Libere
London 10/8/2012 Hide Park
London 2012 Olympic games – Olimpiadi Londra 2012
Foto Andrea Staccioli Insidefoto
Mellouli was an extremely versatile swimmer, swimming the freestyle events, ranging from 200-1500 meters to eventually the 10k, to the IM, where he swam the 200 and 400 meters. His first World Championship competition was in 2003 where he came away with a bronze in the 400m IM. His first title came the following year at the 2004 short course edition of Worlds in Indianapolis where he won the gold medal in the 400 IM and the bronze in the 200 IM. He was a consistent presence at the World Championships, both long and short course, winning bronze in the 400 IM and 400 freestyle in 2005; In 2009, he won gold in the 1500m freestyle and silver in both the 400m and 800m freestyle; At the 2010 Worlds, he took the title in 1500m free, a silver in the 400 IM and bronze in the 200 and 400m freestyle.
MELLOULI Oussama, TUN
Open Water Men 5km
15 FINA World Aquatics Championships
Day-01
Barcelona 19 July – 4 August 2013
Photo L. Salvemini/Insidefoto/Deepbluemedia.eu
Then in 2012, he began swimming Open Water, thanks to the help of coach Catherine Vogt. After surprising the Open Water world and taking the gold in the 10km in London, he competed at the 2013 World Championships, winning gold in the 5km and bronze in the 10km races. Mellouli continued swimming both in the pool and in the open water until his retirement after the Tokyo Games.
Oussama Mellouli Tunisia Gold Medal
Open Water 5 Km Men Nuoto Acque Libere fondo Uomini
Barcellona 20/7/2013 Moll de la Fusta
Barcelona 2013 15 Fina World Championships Aquatics
Foto Andrea Staccioli Insidefoto
Mellouli was the first male African swimmer to win Olympic gold in an individual event (1500-meter freestyle (2008) ~ his country’s second gold medal ever. In 2012, he was named FINA Open Water Swimming Athlete of the Year, Swimming World Magazine Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year; and was won the Swammy Award awarded by SwimSwam for Open Water Swimmer of the Year, all for 2012. At the London Olympic Games, he was Tunisia’s flag carrier in the closing ceremony and in the 2016 opening ceremony in Rio, Tunisia gave him the honor again to carry the Tunisian flag. In 2018, he was inducted into the University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ous Mellouli recently made a post about his upcoming ISHOF induction on social media:
“This coronation or honoring or commemorating that the health of the phrase is important. It’s a great confession that enters me again in history, but this time it wasn’t about the pursuit of the winners but with the votes of the men and the top game specialists in the world. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. The love of sports unites me and I am grateful to them that I have lived this noble honor.
In my career, I had an important share of honors and honors from presidents of Tunisia, governors, princes of Arab countries and senior officials in many countries of the world. They are all dear to me and as a token of love and appreciation that words cannot describe. But this tribute has an exceptional and special tone. I am very proud that my name and the name of my country Tunisia are organized to the list of swimming legends in the world and there are those who had a great influence on me in my beginnings and I consider them the main reason for my love and attachment to this sport like Russian Vladimir Salnikov (the first swimmer to break the 15 minute barrier in 1500 freestyle) or Australian Kieran Perkins (Barcelona 92 went, Atlanta 96) and many other swimming champions in the 90s. And I was talking to my brothers, mother, and father those days and saying to them, I wish I was like Fulan!
And in fact, there are other names worthy of this crowning and I dedicate this unique honor to them. All those people who shared my career and believed in me when I was young and I did not have enough confidence or courage in myself to dream of one day being a world champion or an Olympic champion. Every trainer I trained under his guidance and advice, every official honored and contributed to my career, every journalist followed and commented on the events of the championships I participated in in Tunisia and abroad, and the price of my efforts, and every doctor helped me overcome and resist injuries, and every friend and brother stood by my side. And help me in difficult times and share my joy in the days of victory and every lover wrote to me with thanks and congratulations, and increased in me determination and insistence. And my mother and father, and it is impossible for me to explain why or express the right of expression the giant role they played. Thank you for everything and only. And thank you all. I wish you with sincerity and sincerity that victory will be your ally and success will be your portion and everyone you love.
And the last thing to say is Thank God.”
Join Ous Mellouli and the other 11 outstanding Honorees who will be inducted this year at ISHOF’s Diamond Anniversary in Singapore! Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships
WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
WHERE: Park Royal Collection, Marina Bay, Singapore
Tickets are NOW ON SALE ~ purchase them HERE!
Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony
ISHOF Class of 2025
Anthony Ervin (USA) Honor Swimmer
Ryan Lochte (USA) Honor Swimmer
Federica Pellegrini (ITA) Honor Swimmer
Joseph Schooling (SIN) Honor Swimmer
Ous Mellouli (TUN) Honor Open Water Swimmer
Chen Ruolin (CHN) Honor Diver
Endre “Bandi” Molnar (HUN) Honor Water Polo Player
Andrea Fuentes (ESP) Honor Artistic Swimmer
Gregg Troy (USA) Honor Coach
Captain Husain Al Musallam (KUW) Honor Contributor
Sachin Nag* (IND) Honor Pioneer Swimmer
Guo Jingjing (CHN) Honor Diver (Class of 2016)
*deceased
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this truly international Class of 2025. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from nine countries. In addition, ISHOF will be inducting Honorees from four new countries that we have never had Honorees inducted from before, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, and Singapore.
Hook’ Em: Texas Captures 16th National Title Behind Hubert Kos, 2023 ISHOF Honoree Bob Bowman and Reassembled Roster
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
A win in the 200 medley relay started out the Longhorns’ national-title run.
by David Rieder – Senior Writer
30 March 2025
Hook’ Em: Texas Captures 16th National Title Behind Hubert Kos, 2023 ISHOF Honoree Bob Bowman and Reassembled Roster
A seventh-place finish at last year’s NCAA Men’s Championships was a highly unusual result for a University of Texas team so accustomed to finishing atop the table.
During the four decades in which Eddie Reese helmed the program, Texas won 15 national titles, the most all-time by a single swimming program (men’s or women’s) and by a single coach. For 15 consecutive national meets from 2008 through 2023, Texas finished in the top three, and it would have been 16 if not for the cancellation of the 2020 meet by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2024 season was an aberration, Reese having already announced his retirement (for the second time) and the program’s future uncertain. Less than 48 hours later, the team announced Bob Bowman would take over, and he would put together a title-winning squad in his first year.
“I’m really proud of this team because they didn’t know me, I didn’t know them. It was a little rocky at first trying to figure everything out,” Bowman said. “I remember in our first team meeting saying that we could contend for a championship. In here, I was like, ‘Maybe next year.’ But then they started getting better and we started swimming some meets and I started seeing some things. We were able to get our roster together a little bit with some firepower. It’s really kind of gratifying to all of those efforts came together, but it’s really all about those guys and their hard work.”
The Longhorns finished this year’s NCAA Championships with 490 points, edging out California by just 19 points. The margin was tiny but actually greater than in Texas’ two previous national wins. Previously, the team won by 17 points in 2021 and by 11.5 points in 2018, with the Golden Bears finishing second on both occasions.
Cal placed second with 471 points, with Indiana’s spirited effort resulting in a third-place finish with 459 points. Florida was fourth (315) while Tennessee grabbed fifth (266.5) thanks to exceptional results in the sprint events. Defending champion Arizona State took sixth (248), followed by Georgia (238.5), Stanford (216), NC State (178) and Virginia Tech (107.5).
When Bowman took over the Texas men’s program, he was coming off putting together the most unlikely of national championship teams in men’s swimming history. Bowman came to Texas after nine years at Arizona State, a program that had been cut and resurrected a decade and a half earlier. During his time in Tempe, the coach lifted the Sun Devils from conference also-ran to national champs. Leon Marchand blossomed into a superstar and eventual Olympic hero under Bowman, and the Frenchman was the catalyst in a 79-point win over Cal.
Hubert Kos — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
At his next stop, the Hall-of-Fame coach would no longer have the talents of Marchand, now a professional. Only one swimmer from the ASU diaspora joined him in Austin, though it was World and eventual Olympic champion Hubert Kos, who would flourish in his first year racing for Texas, surging to three national titles after never finishing higher than second with the Sun Devils. Kos capped off his meet with a record-crushing performance in the 200 backstroke.
“Obviously it’s two different feelings, but at the end of the day, it’s kind of the same,” Kos said. “Winning is winning, and that’s why we do this sport, to win at the end of the day. So really, really happy with how this meet turned out and so happy for all the guys, because they put in all the hard work. Bob made us put in all this hard work. So really happy to see it come through at the end.”
Of course, building a championship team requires contributions from all angles. Kos was not lifting Texas back to the promised land by himself. The modern era of college swimming requires coaches to explore every option for their programs, and Bowman took full advantage, with returning swimmers, transfers, divers and freshmen all contributing.
Reese’s successor would inherit building blocks. Luke Hobson won a national title in the 200 free and became the fastest swimmer ever in the event. A freshman class featuring Will Modglin and Nate Germonprez had shown promise. Rex Maurer transferred in from Stanford, and after an up-and-down freshman season, became a star at Texas, culminating national titles in the 500 free and 400 IM and a runnerup finish in the 1650 free. Also joining was Chris Guiliano, who became the first American man since Matt Biondi to race the 50, 100 and 200-meter events at the Olympic Games.
Guiliano was a college home following the suspension of the Notre Dame men’s program for the season, and he chose to spend the spring semester racing for Texas. It may have been the addition of Guiliano that took Texas from great team to true contender as Guiliano’s presence was critical for Texas finishing first, second, second, sixth and seventh in the relays.
Hobson remained a star, lowering his American and NCAA records in the 200 free while finishing second in the 500 free and tied for ninth in the 100 free, and he also provided Bowman a valuable bridge from the previous era of Texas swimming. “Luke’s the quiet leader of the team,” Bowman said. “Not very outspoken, but he does everything right. He lives the right way, he trains the right way, he behaves the right way. He’s been invaluable. Also to teach me about Texas culture. It’s been important to make a smooth transition.”
As for the other returners, Modglin qualified for three A-finals while Germonprez became one of the top breaststrokers in the country, taking third in the 100 breast and ninth over 200 yards. Fellow sophomores Camden Taylor and Will Scholtz made one B-final apiece.
Texas also had two fifth-year swimmers on the team who were part of Reese’s last championship team in 2021: David Johnston, who returned to the team after a redshirt year, and Coby Carrozza, a 200 freestyle veteran who was part of this year’s Texas group that smashed the American record and finished just behind Cal’s historic sub-6:00 effort. Divers Jacob Welsh and Nicholas Harris scored points while freshman Cooper Lucas qualified for two evening swims, topping out with a sixth-place finish in the 400 IM.
Those performances allowed Texas to narrowly take down Cal and Indiana, winning the program’s 16th title in the first year under Bowman. Sure, rebuilding a national contender at Texas was never going to be as challenging as what Bowman accomplished at Arizona State, but no one could have expected it to happen in 12 months. This latest roster, assembled considering the new realities of college swimming, has restored the Longhorns’ dynasty.
NCAA Division I Men’s Championships Meet Page
Men – Team Rankings – Through Event 21
1. Texas 490 2. California 471
3. Indiana 459 4. Florida 315
5. Tennessee 266.5 6. Arizona St 248
7. Georgia 238.5 8. Stanford 216
9. NC State 178 10. Virginia Tech 107.5
11. Michigan 98.5 12. Texas A&M 95.5
13. Alabama 93 14. Louisville 84
15. Southern Cal 80 16. Ohio St 78
17. Purdue 62 18. Florida St 54
19. Lsu 47 20. Yale 30
20. Kentucky 30 22. Wisconsin 28
23. Miami (Fl) 25 23. UNC 25
25. Georgia Tech 24 26. Brown 22
27. Penn 17 28. Minnesota 16
29. Arizona 15.5 30. Army 15
30. University of Utah 15 32. Auburn 14
32. Virginia 14 34. Pittsburgh 13
35. Smu 12 36. Missouri 10
37. Cornell 6 38. Cal Baptist 4
39. South Carolina 1
Announcing the 2025 ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s 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 Water Safety and Mick and Sue Nelson (USA) for Recreational Swimming. This year’s awards will be held Saturday evening on September 13, 2025, in conjunction with the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Induction ceremonies, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
Make your plans now to attend the event, Saturday, September 13, 2025!
The annual awards are a spectacular event that celebrates the unsung heroes who make competitive and recreational aquatics possible. These are the people who save lives, promote water safety and further aquatic education around the world. We are proud to recognize these important individuals at the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
About this year’s award recipients:
Craig Hunter (GBR) – Competitive Swimming
Craig Hunter has been involved in aquatics for Great Britain for most of his life. He has served Great Britain in many capacities including as the Olympic Swimming Team Manager, as Chef de Mission at the Commonwealth Games, for the British Olympic Association, and with the Paralympic Association.
As an experienced swimming official, Hunter became the Chair of the FINA Technical Swimming Committee, adding to the same role that he held with LEN, now European Aquatics. He has been a referee at Olympic, World and European Championships in previous years. His first Olympic appointment as a FINA judge was the 2016 Rio Games, followed by his participation as referee at the 2020/21 Tokyo Games and Paris 2024 Games, where he was Chairman of the Technical Swimming Committee. Hunter is currently serving World Aquatics as the Chairman of the Technical Swimming Committee, a position he began in July, 2022. Prior to that he was the Vice Chair of the committee, as well as serving on the committee as a member, dating back to 2017.
Mitch Geller (CAN) – Competitive Diving
Mitch Geller has a storied career in Canadian sport and international diving. For nearly three decades, he served as a transformative leader at Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC), first as National Team Head Coach and later as Chief Technical Officer. During his tenure, Mitch’s visionary leadership elevated Canadian diving to new heights, establishing it as a world-renowned powerhouse.
Under his guidance, Canada achieved remarkable success, including medals at seven consecutive Olympic Games, along with numerous world championship, world cup, Pan Am, and Commonwealth Games victories. Mitch’s legacy also includes revolutionary innovations in sport development, program expansion, and cultivating global respect for Canadian diving.
Ana Maria Lobo (BRA) – Artistic Swimming
As an athlete, Ana Maria won a bronze medal at the 1963 Pan American Games, marking the first international participation of a Brazilian team in synchronized swimming. More than a personal achievement, this journey allowed her to introduce the sport to Brazil, coaching top-level teams at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Clube Paineiras do Morumby, and serve as the first coach of the Brazilian national team.
She later became an international judge for FINA, officiating at five editions of the Olympic Games, as well as numerous world and South American championships. Her passion for the sport also influenced her family, including her daughter and granddaughter, Cristiana and Maria Clara Lobo, both becoming Olympic athletes in the sport.
Bret Beecher Bernard (USA) – Water Polo
Bret Bernard has been involved in Aquatics most of his life, spanning almost 60 years, but water polo is his true passion. He has played on the national and international level, NCAA, World and Olympic level. He has coached at many different teams in water polo, been an international referee in two Olympic Games, 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta, and two editions of the World Championships, 1991 Perth and 1994 Roma. He has refereed too many international competitions to count, including FINA World Cups, Junior World Championships, Summer Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournaments, Goodwill Games, and the lists goes on. He has served on the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee, among others and was the first non-European AIA President.
Bernard has also been involved on numerous Championship planning and organizing site planning committees all the way up the Olympic Games. He has held the position of President, Vice President and Executive Director of United States Water Polo on a national level, and for his service to the sport he has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fames, recieved the Jimmy R. Smith Award in 2001, US Water Polo’s highest honor and in 2010, the sport named an award after him, The Bret B. Bernard Distinguished Referee Award.
Mick and Sue Nelson (USA)– Recreational Swimming
Mick and Sue Nelson have not only influenced the sustainable development of hundreds of pool projects, their “Save-A-Pool” efforts have kept aquatic facilities in danger of closing viable – increasing the opportunity for recreation swimming across the United States. They provide expert advice to anyone from individuals to working with municipalities, private businesses and even major public-private projects. The scope of projects they have been involved in are unmatched by anyone in the industry.
The Nelsons also had careers at USA Swimming for more than a decade, Sue working as a Programming Specialist providing resources and information for members, and Mick, the Club Facilities Development Director. The Nelsons have mentored so many in the industry, have held volunteer leadership positions on numerous boards and advisory councils, presented at dozens of aquatic industry conferences and consistantly nominated others for awards.
Lisa Zarda (USA) –Aquatic Safety
Lisa Zarda is the executive director for the United States Swim School Association (USSSA). Her career in association management spans over twenty-five years and includes earning the certified association executive (CAE) designation in 2010. Over the years she has held volunteer leadership positions with both the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Arizona Society of Association Executives (AzSAE). For the learn to swim industry, she has been involved in the Aquatics Coalition and Water Safety USA. In 2021 she received the Guiding Light Award from the USSSA for her dedication and leadership.
AquaCal® has been the leading swimming pool heat pump manufacturer since 1981, offering a full range of units to meet any heating need. AquaCal® can maintain anything from small above ground pools up to very large commercial facilities. (Currently heating and chilling the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Aquatic Center pools) The chillers, as well as the heat and cool units, can be used to create cold plunge pools for therapy too. Whatever your pool heating/cooling needs, AquaCal® can help!
The ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal, will be held Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach, 999 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL (954) 315-1460. In addition to the ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal, we will also be honoring the recipients of the ISHOF Specialty Awards which include theVirginia Hunt Newman Award, the Every Child A Swimmer Award and many others. They will be announced next week.
Ticket information for all events, including the 2025 ISHOF Awards and MISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremonies will be forthcoming very soon.
For more information call Meg Keller-Marvin at 570.594.4367
#ISHOF #Aquaticawards #AquaCal #USASwimming #Fortlauderdale #Diving #Waterpolo #Artisticswimming #EverychildAswimmer #swimlessons #WorldAquatics
ISHOF Honoree Ron O’Brien: Renaming of the MAC Dive Well The “Dr. Ron O’Brien Dive Well”
PRESS RELEASE
Mission Viejo, California – The Mission Viejo Nadadores Diving Team announces the renaming of the dive well at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex, the “Dr. Ron O’Brien Dive Well.” The City Council approved the proposal at its March 25th Meeting.
“To honor Ron and name our dive well after an 8-time Olympic Coach who had such a historical impact on the team and community is just the right thing to do,” said Michele Mitcell, Ph.D., two-time Olympic Silver Medalist and Executive Director of the Nadadores. “Ron was the genesis of our program. In 1980 six Nadador divers earned their place on the US Olympic Team (the American team did not compete in the boycotted Games). In 1984, three of his divers medaled (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) at the Games in Los Angeles. His contributions to both the sport of diving and the community cannot be overstated. With the Olympics returning in just a few short years, the timing of the dedication is ideal.”
The unveiling ceremony will take place during the opening ceremonies of the 2025 USA Dvinig Junior National Championships, July 26th at 6:00 pm at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex (27474 Casta Del Sol, Mission Viejo) with many retired Nadador divers, staff, and family in attendance.
ISHOF 60th Anniversary Honoree Tickets Available Now!!!!
Salute to Women’s History Month: Dawn Fraser and the First Olympic Three-Peat
Dawn Fraser – Photo Courtesy: Dawn Fraser Collection
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
Salute to Woman’s History Month: Dawn Fraser and the First Olympic Three-Peat
On October 11, 1964, the Olympic Games in Tokyo opened. During the week in Japan, Australian star Dawn Fraser made history by capturing the 100-meter freestyle for the third consecutive time. The feat was the first of its kind in Olympic swimming.
Find an expert on the sport and ask that individual to identify the greatest male and female swimmers in history. The answer for the guys is usually instantaneous: Michael Phelps. Truthfully, any other answer reveals foolishness. Obtaining a majority among the gals is much more difficult. Tracy Caulkins and Janet Evans are in the conversation. Arguments are made for Krisztina Egerszegi. Despite her active status, Katie Ledecky has already achieved such greatness that votes are cast on her behalf.
Photo Courtesy: Dawn Fraser Collection.
The other contender for female GOAT status (Greatest of All Time) requires a trip back in time of more than a half-century. It also requires a trip Down Under. Back then, and there, is where Dawn Fraser is found. Hailing from a nation with a rich aquatic history, Fraser spent the middle part of the 1900s establishing herself as a freestyle legend.
There haven’t been many stretches over the past century-plus in which Australia has been a non-player on the international scene. But when Fraser came along in the early 1950s, there was a lull in the Aussie ranks. It was Fraser who lifted her nation back to prominence, first capturing back-to-back gold medals at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. She then used the Games of 1964 as a stage for history, for it was that Olympiad in which Fraser became the first swimmer to win three consecutive titles in the same event, doing so in the 100 meter freestyle.
Just how challenging is an Olympic trifecta? Consider this fact: The club of three-peaters only features a quartet of members: Fraser, Egerszegi, Phelps and Ledecky.
Setting the Stage
Before celebrating Fraser’s historical achievement from Tokyo, there must first be a look at how she came to pursue the triple. It can be easily argued that her rise to stardom hinged on her crossing paths in 1950 with Harry Gallagher, the man who would coach Fraser to excellence. While talent is obviously the key ingredient for any global success, it must be nurtured and molded, and Gallagher had the perfect approach for working with Fraser.
Fraser wasn’t the easiest of pupils with whom to work. She could be hard-headed and rebellious. She was brash. She could be defiant. Yet, Gallagher knew how to work with these traits, and devised a blueprint that took Fraser’s unquestioned skill set to the greatest heights.
“Dawn was a horror,” Gallagher once said. “She told me I was a deadbeat, to drop dead, to piss off, to get lost. She wasn’t going to do what I wanted her to do. No guy would ever get her to do what she didn’t want to do. She had wild aggression. She reminded me of a wild mare in the hills that you had put the lightest lead on to keep her under control. She wanted to do her own thing. If you had to guide her, it had to be very subtly, so she didn’t understand that she was being manipulated. I used to say that, you know, ‘Dawn, no girl has ever done this before, and I don’t think you can do it either, but you just might be able to do it.’ She’d say, ‘What do you bloody mean? Of course I can bloody well do it.”
Gallagher’s psychological genius and Fraser’s talent proved to be a perfect combination. While Gallagher recognized how to work with his star athlete, Fraser understood the importance of Gallagher as a mentor, and a give-and-take relationship was established. At the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, the partnership yielded the tandem’s finest moment to date. Behind a world-record performance, Fraser defeated compatriot Lorraine Crapp for gold in the 100 freestyle, simultaneously sparking her legendary status.
Following her Olympic breakthrough, Fraser etched herself as the globe’s premier female swimmer. She set multiple world records in the 100 and 200 free, and entered the 1960 Olympics in Rome as the heavy favorite to repeat in the 100, considered the sport’s blue-ribbon event. Indeed, Fraser prevailed in dominant fashion, as the Aussie bettered American Chris von Saltza by more than a second, an eternity in a two-lap event.
History for the Legend
Had Fraser opted for retirement following the 1960 Games, she would have walked away as an icon. It was rare during that era for swimmers to hang around for multiple Olympiads, let alone three. But Fraser has always been known for bucking the system and prolonging her career, and time on top only added to her legacy.
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swim Australia/Ascta)
As the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo beckoned, Fraser continued to flourish. Additional world records fell, and in 1962, she became the first woman to crack the one-minute barrier in the 100 freestyle. For all she had previously achieved, Fraser was getting better and was seemingly headed to her third Olympiad as an undeniable force. Of course, not all plans unfold smoothly.
Seven months before the Tokyo Games, Fraser endured a physically and emotionally crippling life event. Leaving a fund-raiser, Fraser was the driver of a car that also carried her mother, sister and a friend. During the ride home in the early-morning hours of March 9, 1964, Fraser was forced to veer out of the way when her car suddenly came upon a truck. When Fraser swerved, her car flipped over, leading to disastrous results. While Fraser, her sister and friend were injured, Fraser’s mother was killed, pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Fraser’s brother initially informed her that their mother died of a heart attack prior to the crash, but as Fraser prepared to write her autobiography, she learned that her mother’s death was actually the result of injuries suffered in the car accident.
“I was led to believe by my family for many, many years, that my mother had died prior to the accident,” Fraser wrote in her autobiography. “I did not feel good inside, but I know I’ve wiped away that question mark in my mind. Over the years, I’ve realized you can beat yourself up at night, lose sleep…but you can’t change the past. My parents taught me to accept things the way they were, the rights and the wrongs…and to learn from my mistakes.”
With the car accident so close to the Olympics in Tokyo, questions rightfully arose concerning Fraser’s ability to three-peat. Really, Fraser would have been excused had she bypassed a third Olympics. Not only was she carrying the enormous weight of her mother’s death, but the crash also left Fraser with a chipped vertebra that forced her to wear a neck brace for nine weeks. More, doctors advised her not to dive off starting blocks due to the risk of furthering her neck injury. It wasn’t until the Olympics in which Fraser dove off the blocks with full force.
As Fraser prepared to chase a third straight gold medal in the 100 free, she wasn’t simply battling her own physical and mental demons. American Sharon Stouder had emerged as a prime challenger, and Fraser would have to produce one of the best efforts of her career to retain her crown. Ultimately, that is what the Aussie managed, as she came through in the final to clock an Olympic record of 59.5, ahead of the 59.9 produced by Stouder.
In less than a minute of race time—but with years of work and dedication providing fuel—Fraser had become the first swimmer to win the same event at three consecutive Olympiads. It was truly a remarkable feat, a triumph well ahead of its time. Years down the line, Egerszegi joined Fraser in the special club, winning the 200 backstroke at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games. Eventually, Phelps was given his key, too, and went a step further by winning the 200 individual medley at four consecutive Games (2004-16). Last summer, Ledecky pulled off the feat. But Fraser will forever be the president emeritus of the Three-Peat Club.
It is worth noting that America’s first sprint star, Duke Kahanamoku, could have beaten Fraser to the treble. Kahanamoku was the Olympic champion in the 100 free in 1912 and 1920, but had his 1916 Olympic opportunity stolen by the cancellation of the Games due to World War I.
“I put myself under a lot of pressure by deciding to go to Tokyo, and I also put myself under a lot of pressure to compete in the same event in three Olympics,” Fraser said. “I had, at the back of my mind, that this was for my mother because we were saving up for my mother to go to Tokyo with me. I just imagined that she was there and that I was doing it for her.”
An Extra Souvenir
If Fraser’s excellence in the pool cemented her identity as an all-time great, her third gold medal in the 100 free apparently wasn’t enough of a souvenir from her visit to Tokyo. After completing her work in the pool, the rebellious Fraser set out on a night excursion with Howard Toyne, an Australian Olympic team doctor, and Des Piper, a member of Australia’s field hockey team. The trio planned on obtaining some Olympic flags that lined the street leading to the Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Emperor of Japan.
Dawn Fraser’s three-peat in the 100 freestyle remains an iconic achievement in the sport.
After getting two flags in their possession, police were alerted, and Fraser and her countrymen were arrested, taken to the police station and threatened with jail time. However, Fraser’s prominence was soon revealed, and all three Aussies were released, the lieutenant of the police station actually allowing Fraser to keep one of the stolen flags.
“After showing them my gold medal and my dog tags, (the police) were still very disgusted that I’d…that it was me…that I would do that,” Fraser said. “They explained to me that it was a stealing offense, and it could mean a jail term. But they decided then because of who I was, Dawn Fraser, they let us off.”
The Tokyo police may have been lenient with Fraser, but Australian Swimming was tired of its Glory Girl and her antics. The organization saw the flag incident as a third strike against Fraser. Prior to the flag shenanigans, Fraser—against team orders—walked in the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, rather than rest. She also donned a suit for competition that she felt was more comfortable, but was not the team-sponsored suit. The accumulated offenses led Australian Swimming to institute a 10-year ban against Fraser, a decision that led to her retirement.
Although the ban was lifted prior to the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Fraser didn’t feel like she had the appropriate amount of time to come out of retirement and prepare for a pursuit of a fourth consecutive title in the 100 free. It was the end.
Ahead of Her Time
When the Olympic Games return to Tokyo next summer, only Ledecky has the chance to become the fourth member of the illustrious Three-Peat Club. Ledecky has the opportunity to triple in the 800 freestyle, and the fact that she is the lone individual who can three-peat—particularly in this era of lengthened careers—speaks to the difficulty of the challenge.
Considering Fraser achieved the feat at a time when careers were primarily one-Olympics-and-done only emphasizes that she was ahead of her time and set a spectacularly high bar to chase. Although it will never be known, one also must wonder if Fraser—a multi-time world record holder in the event—could have also managed the accomplishment in the 200 freestyle, which did not become an Olympic event for women until 1968.
Memorable moments are sure to develop at the 2020(2021) Games, and as these new memories are celebrated, what Dawn Fraser achieved in Tokyo 57 years earlier is sure to be celebrated, too. History never disappears. Instead, it serves as a reminder of the past and the greatness that came before and should never be forgotten. For Fraser, she will always be the first swimmer to win Olympic gold in the same event at three consecutive Games, each victory defined in its own way, but the last defining history.
“I can remember precisely what I said,” Fraser stated about the completion of her triple. “I said to myself, ‘Thank God that’s over!’”
Doctor of Success: How Doc Counsilman Built a Legendary Coaching Career (USOPC Hall of Fame Candidate)
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
26 March 2025, 04:29am
Doctor of Success: How Doc Counsilman Built a Legendary Coaching Career (USOPC Hall of Fame Candidate)
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced its finalists for the USOPC Hall of Fame earlier this week and legendary Indiana coach James “Doc” Counsilman is a candidate in the coaching category. How Counsilman is not already in the Hall of Fame is difficult to understand, given his stellar career and status as one of the coaching greats in the swimming world. Here is a feature on Counsilman, who will hopefully earn induction into the USOPC Hall of Fame.
Indiana University (1959-1990)
Led Indiana to 23 Big Ten Conference Championships (20 consecutive – 1961-1980)
Led Hoosiers to Six Straight NCAA titles (1969-1974)
1964 and 1976 United States Olympic Coach
1976 U.S. Olympic Team Won 12 of 13 Gold Medals
International Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee
Big Ten Champion Breaststroker at Ohio State University
Multiple Coaching and Technological Innovations
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Words were not necessary. All that was required was a glance around the natatorium. A look at the banners that celebrated past championships. A look at the honor roll of Olympians. The intensity and purpose that defined the workouts taking place in the pool. The concentration in the eyes of the coach monitoring the work that was underway.
Indiana University sits in the southern portion of the state, the city of Bloomington its home. And in the late 1960s into the early 1970s, the school was a focal point of the sport, its program a dominant presence not just on the collegiate scene, but also on the international stage.
When James “Doc” Counsilman took the reins of the Indiana program in 1957, the Big Ten Conference belonged to Michigan and Ohio State. Within a few years, though, Counsilman shifted the balance of power to the Hoosier State, and that control endured for two decades, with Indiana also emerging as a national force.
From 1961 to 1980, Counsilman led the Hoosiers to 20 consecutive Big Ten Conference crowns and Bloomington became a hub for top talent. Athlete after athlete, and team after team, passed along vast expectations in two departments. First, the Hoosiers were going to win, plain and simple. They were going to contend for championships and compete at an elite level. More, they were going to conduct themselves with class, and honor the traits of their coach – humility, dedication and loyalty.
“I don`t think there has ever been a coach in any American collegiate sport that has done more for his sport or more thoroughly dominated his sport than Doc Counsilman.”
Photo Courtesy: ISHOF Archives
The above quote was once uttered by legendary Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight, a man who shared a campus with Counsilman. While the two men were opposites – Knight’s explosiveness contrary to Counsilman’s serenity – there was an appreciation for the success each maintained. And, boy, did Counsilman excel in his profession.
Nothing matched what Indiana was able to conjure up during the height of the Counsilman era, defined as the mid-1960s into the mid-1970s.
At the 12 NCAA Championships held between 1964 and 1975, Indiana put together a sensational run that included six team titles and five runnerup finishes. During that stretch, the rivalry between Indiana and the University of Southern California was second to none – regardless of the sport. Every year in which Indiana was the second-place finisher at the NCAA Champs, USC was the victor. Meanwhile, in four of Indiana’s championships, Southern Cal was the runnerup.
What the University of Texas has done under the guidance of Eddie Reese is certainly worth mentioning in the same breath as Counsilman’s Indiana heyday. Since Reese arrived at Texas in 1979, he has led the Longhorns to 15 NCAA championships (a record) and 13 runnerup finishes.
Before both Counsilman and Reese, Robert Kiphuth had his own dynasty at Yale, where he compiled a 528-12 dual-meet record and won four NCAA titles between 1918-1959. The Bulldogs added eight runnerup finishes at the NCAA Championships, and Kiphuth was known as an innovator through the implementation of interval training and dryland work that emphasized weightlifting.
No, swimming is not a contact sport like football, where players from rival teams can physically punish one another through a crushing blow in the open field. Still, the rivalry between Indiana and USC was fierce, and neither the Hoosiers nor Trojans were likely to rescue a downing foe.
“I wouldn’t say there was hatred. That might be a little too strong,” said Gary Hall Sr., a three-time Olympian who competed collegiately for Indiana. “But we didn’t like one another. That wasn’t a mystery.”
Photo Courtesy: International Swimming Hall of Fame
The truth is, Indiana could easily have captured its first NCAA team title in the early 1960s. Fueled by Hall of Famers Chet Jastremski, Mike Troy, Ted Stickles and Kevin Berry, the Hoosiers were loaded, and had little difficulty reigning atop the Big Ten Conference. However, due to infractions by the football team, all Indiana teams were barred from NCAA championship contention from 1960 to 1963.
Finally, in 1968, the breakthrough came for Counsilman’s program, as the Hoosiers raced away from their NCAA counterparts. That championship marked the first of six straight titles, a record that has not been matched. As Indiana rolled through the opposition, it did so behind rosters that were stacked with talent.
Actually, calling these Indiana squads loaded would be an understatement. A fan of the program once quipped that Counsilman went to battle with an atomic bomb, compared to the water gun of his foes. Meanwhile, experts suggested that if Indiana had faced any country in the world in a dual meet, it would have prevailed.
The biggest weapon in the Indiana arsenal was undoubtedly Mark Spitz. The 11-time Olympic medalists, who is best known for his seven gold medals at the 1972 Games in Munich, flourished for the Hoosiers from 1969-72. Although Spitz rated as the world’s premier swimmer, he was treated like any other member of the Indiana roster.
“What Doc had was this great ability to make you feel like the most important person in the pool,” Spitz said. “Everyone came away with that feeling, whether he was a Mark Spitz or a walk-on.”
Among the other standouts at Indiana during its heyday years were Hall and Charlie Hickcox. Hall was a world-record holder in multiple events and medaled in three Olympiads (1968, 1972 and 1976). As for Hickcox, he won double-gold in the 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley at the 1968 Olympics, where he also picked up a silver medal in the 100 backstroke.
Also hailing from Indiana’s most-dominant days were individual Olympic titlists Don McKenzie (100 breaststroke) and Jim Montgomery (100 freestyle), with Mike Stamm (100 backstroke/200 backstroke) and John Kinsella (1500 freestyle) capturing silver medals.
Not surprisingly, the atmosphere at the Midwestern school was intense, team members pushing one another to reach their goals and to achieve the next significant milestone within their reach. The option to coast through a workout did not exist – not with teammates, and not with Counsilman.
“When I got there, I knew the tradition was rich,” Hall said. “Everyone knew about the past and that’s why they gave themselves to the program. There was an obligation to carry on the tradition by stepping up and doing your part. We came to be part of this family and it was important to do whatever was needed to maintain a high level. Nothing less was accepted. Every day, we tried to one-up each other. We were all trying to get Doc’s attention.”
Photo Courtesy: Minor Studio
The trust the athletes had in Counsilman was immeasurable, and that faith came from two primary areas. More than anything, Counsilman’s track record spoke for itself, and his troops knew exactly what his leadership produced. As a complement, Counsilman was an innovator and unafraid to introduced new tactics and training methods.
Counsilman placed an emphasis on strength training and film analysis, and he frequently called his athletes into his office to analyze 16-milimeter film and study ways they could cut time. Counsilman also emphasized underwater filming and was known to place lights on the fingers, hands and arms of his swimmers and, with the natatorium lights shut off, use the lights to detect proper hand and arm entry into the water.
However, the Indiana program was not suffocating. Rather, it stressed accountability and taught the swimmers the importance of self-reliance and responsibility to others. This mentality was engrained in the Hoosiers and passed along from class to class.
“Great swimmers usually have an innate sense of how they function. They seem to know instinctively how hard they need to work, and when they need to ease off,” Counsilman said. “There’s no need for the slave-driver approach to coaching. By respecting the swimmer’s perceptions about his swimming, and by good communication, a coach can develop the sensitivity to understand the swimmer’s basic needs. The great coach must have two basic abilities – he must be a good organizer and a good psychologist. The good organizer will have the large team, will attract the good swimmers from other teams, and develop (Mark Spitz) and (Gary Hall) The good psychologist will be able to handle the parent problems, get along with the city council, and be able to communicate successfully with the swimmers. He will have the super teams.”
Outside of the pool, Indiana’s legendary teams were tight knit, a common gathering place the home of their coach. While Counsilman monitored his athletes’ academic progress and allowed the use of his personal office as a work or study center, his wife, Marge, played the role of team mom. Marge Counsilman often cooked meals for the Hoosiers and provided them with a comfort zone, especially those feeling homesickness.
The potential of an NCAA program, including top guns Texas and Cal-Berkeley, winning six consecutive team championships is low in the current era, due largely to greater depth from coast to coast. So, Indiana’s record is likely safe, the passing of time only adding to legend of what Counsilman constructed.
“Doc was unusual in a lot of ways compared to others I’ve known in the sport,” Hall said. “He was intelligent and had incredible personality traits. He made everyone feel special and that was a key with the superstars. He related to everyone on the team and spoke a vernacular that resonated with the guys on the team. He used his share of four-letter words and he was funny. He showed such humility and the team followed his example. It was an honor to be coached by him and to be part of that program.”
ISHOF 2023 Honoree Missy Franklin Johnson and husband Hayes Johnson Announce Birth of Second Daughter
Photos Courtesy: Missy Franklin Johnson via Instagram
by Dan D’Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor
24 March 2025
Missy Franklin Johnson and Hayes Johnson announced the birth of baby girl No. 2.
Chase Campbell Johnson was born on March 19, the couple proclaimed on Social Media.
“Chase Campbell JohnsonMarch 19th, 2025 at 4:54 amWelcome to the world baby girl”
Their first child, Sarah Caitlin was born Aug. 11, 2021.
Missy Franklin Johnson and Hayes Johnson were married in 2019. Johnson is a former swimmer at the University of Texas.
Franklin burst onto the scene when she was just 15. She was 16 when she won her first three world titles, including in the 200 backstroke, and then she won four gold medals (including both individual backstroke events) at the 2012 Olympics. That’s when she set the world record in the longer backstroke race that would last for seven years. She was a Rio Olympian as well.
Missy Franklin earned six gold medals at the 2013 World Championships, and then she swam for two years at Cal before turning professional. She remains the American-record holder in the 200-yard free with her 1:39.10 from the 2015 NCAA championships when she led the Golden Bears to an NCAA team title.
Johnson was an accomplished swimmer at the University of Texas, where he swam at two NCAA championships and at the 2012 Olympic Trials. The couple was married in 2019.
Read Missy’s Honoree bio here: https://ishof.org/honoree/missy-franklin/
And watch her Honoree video here:
Congratulations Momma Missy!
April Featured Honoree: Johnny Weissmuller (USA) and his 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 the new year, April 2025, with 1965 ISHOF Honoree Johnny Weissmuller, Honor Swimmer. Johnny Weissmuller 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.
A Flying Start: The First World Record of Olympic Legend Michael Phelps
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
09 March 2025
A Flying Start: The First World Record of Olympic Legend Michael Phelps
In Swimming World Magazine’s latest edition of World Record Flashback, we take a trip to the Jamail Swim Center on the campus of the University of Texas. There, in early 2001, Michael Phelps set the first world record of his career, accomplishing the feat in the 200-meter butterfly as a 15-year-old prodigy.
The night was September 19, 2000, and Michael Phelps had just completed his first Olympic Games. Three races in two days, in front of raucous crowds at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, were capped by a fifth-place finish in the 200-meter butterfly by a young teenager who would eventually rule the sport.
The gold medal that evening went to American veteran Tom Malchow, whose performance enabled him to rise a spot from the silver-medal step he occupied on the Atlanta Games podium four years earlier. As for Phelps, his effort left him just .33 shy of a medal and marked the last moment he would compete in any sort of anonymity.
Blessed with a unique combination of physical prowess and mental desire, Phelps was viewed as a future star. He was counted in the can’t-miss category, and in the years ahead, his potential was fulfilled through 28 Olympic medals, more than 30 world records and the reshaping of what was believed possible in the pool.
At his first Games, Phelps’ program was much different than the multi-event schedule that became his norm in international competition. Just one individual event. No relay duty. Overall, less than six minutes of racing. But invaluable experience was gained Down Under, and a flame was lit for the future – long-term and short.
Nearly a quarter century after Phelps made his Olympic debut, his longtime mentor Bob Bowman is known as one of the greatest coaches in history. Bowman has guided multiple athletes to Olympic success, has served as a Team USA head man and has guided a college program (Arizona State) to an NCAA championship. Most recently, he set the blueprint for a four-gold showing by Leon Marchand at the Olympic Games in Paris.
En route to this success, Bowman has frequently dipped into a trunk of tactical tricks, drawing out ways to challenge and motivate his athletes. In Sydney, this approach was on display when Bowman, the morning after the final of the 200 butterfly, pushed Phelps through a workout – really, his first training session on the road to the 2004 Games in Athens.
As Bowman handed Phelps the day’s demands, there was a note scribbled in the corner of the workout sheet. It was short. It was simple. Yet, it was profound in meaning, and suggested a seminal day was brewing.
“Austin, WR.”
A target was set.
To understand why Bowman had the foresight to hand Phelps such a note in Sydney, it’s critical to first remember that the pair started working together when the pupil was just 11 years old. Bowman fully comprehended the talent with which Phelps was gifted. Second, what Phelps achieved in August and September of 2000 offered a glimpse at not only a generational athlete, but how rapidly the teen had caught up to the finest 200 butterflyers in the world.
At the United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Phelps officially made the transition from age-group sensation to world-class swimmer. On the way to becoming the youngest U.S. male Olympian in the pool in 68 years, he deftly handled the pressure of a meet that has made others crumble. In the final of the 200 fly, with a ticket to Sydney within reach, Phelps was undeterred by a deficit heading into the final lap. Rather, he relied on his ability and chased down Jeff Somensatto by the touch, finishing second to Malchow (1:56.87) with a time of 1:57.48.
“Phelps is awesome,” Malchow said at Trials. “I might have retired a little sooner with someone like that coming up. He didn’t get caught up in the hype, which is a credit to him. He stuck to his gameplan.”
A month later, Phelps was even better on the biggest stage his sport has to offer. Sharing a deck with the likes of Ian Thorpe, Inge de Bruijn and Pieter van den Hoogenband, Phelps posted three consecutive personal-best times in the 200 fly. There was a 1:57.30 during prelims and a 1:57.00 outing in the semifinals. His swim of 1:56.50 in the final was only .33 shy of the 1:56.17 that Aussie Justin Norris managed for the bronze medal.
On the strength of six straight personal bests in demanding environments, and aware that Phelps’ steep improvement curve would be aided by several months of quality training, Bowman felt a little note on a workout page would serve as perfect motivation.
When Phelps arrived at the University of Texas in late March 2001, his mission for the United States National Championships was multi-pronged. The meet served as the qualifying competition for the summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Of course, Phelps also wanted to meet Bowman’s challenge and set the first world record of his career.
With Malchow coming off his Olympic gold medal and hungry to remain the king of the 200 fly, Phelps had someone to push him – an ideal scenario. Not surprising, Malchow was in command during the early stages of the race. But over the back half, Phelps had too much in reserve and the showdown became known as the coronation of a man who would emerge as the Face of Swimming for more than a decade, and the greatest Olympian of all-time.
Covering the opening 50 meters in 26.47, Phelps faced a .78 deficit to Malchow at the first turn. That margin was reduced to .57 by the midway point of the race and was cut to .44 with a lap remaining. At that point, given Phelps’ closing ability, it seemed likely that the 15-year-old would overhaul Malchow. Indeed, that is how the race unfolded, as Phelps finished in 29.88, compared to the 30.86 of Malchow, and set a world record of 1:54.92. The time was good for the global standard Phelps desired, breaking the 1:55.18 established by Malchow at the 2000 Charlotte UltraSwim.
“I knew something was going to happen off the third wall,” said Phelps, a savant of the sport even at a young age. “I was surprised how close I was to Malchow and that helped me come home. My goal coming into this meet was to break the world record. My goal now is to keep getting faster and faster.”
At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Phelps captured the first world title of his career, doing so in style. He took the world record to 1:54.58 and led a gold-silver finish with Malchow. In the ensuing years, there would be six more world records by Phelps in the 200 fly, the final one a 1:51.51 effort at the 2009 World Championships.
That first one, however, will always hold a special distinction for the Phelps camp.
“That was the first swim that really meant something,” Phelps said.