Craig Beardsley: 1980 Olympic Hopeful and World Record Holder in the 200 Butterfly to be Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Craig Beardsley to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, October 15, 2022

Craig Beardsley is a former American competitive swimmer who was a world record-holder in the 200-meter butterfly for three years in the early 1980s. Beardsley won the gold medal in his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly, at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he swam for coach Randy Reese’s Florida Gators in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1979 to 1982. 

Craig Beardsley
Craig Beardsley. Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine.

Craig Beardsley qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980, but could not participate when the U.S. Olympic Committee, at the behest of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, voted to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia.  The Games were boycotted by the United States and other countries after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979.  Like many of the best American athletes of 1980, he was denied the opportunity to participate on the largest stage for international sports.  Beardsley set a world record of 1:58.21 in the 200- meter butterfly on July 30, 1980, one week after the Olympic Games—a time that was over a second faster than Soviet swimmer Sergey Fesenko‘s gold medal time in the 1980 Olympic finals.  

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Come and meet Beardsley in person and hear his incredible life story at the ISHOF Induction dinner on Saturday, October 15, 2022. Can’t attend the event? Please consider donating to ISHOF and support Craig and our other inspirational Honorees.

More About Craig Beardsley:

After the United States–led boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Beardsley continued to train and participate in competitive swimming. He held both the American and world records for the 200-meter butterfly from 1980 to 1983. Swimming World Magazine named Beardsley its American Male Swimmer of the Year in 1981. He was a two-time NCAA champion in the 200-meter butterfly and received eight All-American honors while swimming for the Florida Gators.

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Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine

Make your plans now to attend October 15, 2022!  Purchase your tickets TODAY!!! (Get info on membership here.) Can’t attend the event? Donate to ISHOF to support our honorees.

This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees include:

International Swimming Hall of Fame 2022 Honorees

Craig Beardsley (USA) – Swimming

Natalie Coughlin (USA) – Swimming

Marilyn Bell (CAN) – Open Water Swimming

Michael Klim (AUS) – Swimming

Jon Sieben (AUS) – Swimming

Daichi Suzuki (JPN)– Swimming

Matthew Mitcham (AUS) – Diving

Ursula Carlile (AUS) – Coach

Peter Huerzeler (SUI) – ISHOF Contributor

Mirko Vicevic (YUG/MON) Water Polo

 

Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees

Doris Steadman (USA) Masters Swimmer

Dr. Jane Katz (USA)  Masters Contributor

 Edith Bohm (GER) Masters Swimmer

Olga Kokorina (RUS) Masters Swimmer

Shigehisha Sekikawa (JPN) Masters Swimmer

Birte Hohlstein (GER)  Masters Artistic Swimming 

Guenther Wolf (GER) Masters Water Polo

 

The Induction Weekend Schedule

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Official 57th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner

    • 5:30 pm VIP Reception
    • 6:30 –10:00 pm Induction Ceremony & Dinner

Purchase Tickets HERE

 

HOTEL INFORMATION

Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa

Upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full service spa and oceanside bar. Location of the Saturday evening induction ceremony. ¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-4000

Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $229 per night, BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE

($39 Resort fee – Guests can opt out if not interested in resort amenities)

  Additional Hotel Option: Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach

440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733 Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $189 per night

Honoree Ceremony October 15, 2022 Last Day to Book: Friday, September 30, 2022

BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE