The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) hosted the Class of 2024 Honorees and award winners, as well as the MISHOF (Masters) Class of 2023, this past weekend, Oct. 4-6, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the 59th annual Induction Weekend.
The Honorees weekend kicked off Friday evening, Oct. 4, with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards sponsored by AquaCal. The ISHOF Aquatic Awards are presented annually to individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to aquatics in six categories.
The 2024 ISHOF Aquatic Awards, sponsored by AquaCal, included Jay Thomas (USA), Competitive Swimming, Sheliagh Boudia (USA), Diving, Beth Root (USA), Recreational Swimming (USA), Chris and Jenny McCuiston (USA), Aquatic Safety, Cris and Pedro Pinciroli (BRA), Water Polo and Sandra Roberts (CAN) for Synchronized Swimming.
Other award winners for the evening included, Rodna Metz Bordner who received the John K. Williams Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award; Dominic Calabro was awarded the Every Child A Swimmer Award, and Sandra Rossi Madormo, of Brazil, was presented the Virginia Hunt Newman Award.
Ian Hugh McAllister, who wrote the story of his grandmother, “Lost Olympics: The Hilda James Story,” received the Buck Dawson Author’s Award. McAllister wrote his “Gran’s” fascinating true story. What is the ultimate price of success? In 1924, swimming superstar Hilda James was a dead cert for the British Team at the Paris Olympics. Her family had other ideas. This is the account of a world champion who suddenly found that her ultimate challenge was to pull her life back together after her dream was cruelly shattered forever. Hilda wasn’t about to bow down to anybody and broke away, finally achieving full emancipation. A social history of life in South Liverpool plus the story of Parkgate Baths on The Wirral provide the early background for this extraordinary book. The final chapters are set against the backdrop of life as a celebrity crew member aboard Cunard’s first purpose built cruise liner, Carinthia.
The 59th Annual Honoree Induction began Saturday evening at the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort and Spa with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres. Many old friends got re-acquainted, swimmers and coaches reminisced, people met their idols, whether they were Olympians from yesterday or 50 years ago. One thing was for sure, everyone had a good time. And although, we missed ISHOF Board Member, and Olympic superstar, Dara Torres, as she is busy up in New England coaching her new team, Boston College, we were lucky enough to welcome a spectacular new emcee of the ceremonies. She comes to us just recently returned from Paris, where she was covering the swimming for NBC at the Olympic Games and even more recently, last month, she was married, 2012 Olympic medalist, Elizabeth Beisel. Beisel set the tone for a fun, upbeat evening, which was broadcast live on ESPN+.. Watch it here.
This year’s Induction Class of 2024 included three swimmers, Lars Frölander (SWE), Daniel Gyurta (HUN) and Dana Vollmer (USA); and for the first time ever, a relay team, the USA Women’s 1976 Gold Medal 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay, consisting of Wendy Boglioli, Shirley Babashoff, Jill Sterkel and Kim Peyton. The Class of 2024 saw three divers inducted, Alexandre Despatie (CAN), Yulia Pakhalina (RUS) and from the Class of 2023, Wu Minxia (CHN), who was unable to attend last year; one synchronized swimmer, Virginie Dedieu (FRA); two water polo players, Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA) and Vladimir Akimov; Coach Dennis “Denny” Pursley (USA); Contributor, Dale Neuburger (USA) and the 2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion recipient was Mr. Alex Blavatnik.
The class of 2024 began with the only diver who has ever won a World Championship title in all three individual events, the 1- and 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform. Alexandre Despatie competed for Canada in four Olympic Games, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012, winning two silver medals and making the finals in each of his Olympic performances.
Dana Vollmer, of the USA, is a seven-time Olympic medalist, 10-time medalist at the World Championships and with 35 medals earned in international competition. Yet with all those accolades, the one title she’s most proud of is she is the only “Mother” in the sport of swimming to win an Olympic gold medal.
Honor Water Polo Player Vladimir Akimov was represented by his son, Roman Akimov, who flew from Moscow and said he had to be present for this “very special honor for his father, who was inducted on the same day he died under tragic circumstances, October 5.” Vladimir Akimov was a member of the Soviet water polo team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Akimov was a driving force on the team and one the greatest defenders of his era.
Dennis Pursley (USA) probably had the largest cheering section of the evening. Inducted as this year’s Honor Coach, Pursley began his career at Lakeside Aquatics, coaching none other than possibly the greatest female butterflier of all time, Mary T. Meagher, and a host of other talented swimmers, with six of them, including Mary T. making the 1980 Olympic Team. Pursley held a host of prestigious jobs including Head Coach for the Australia Institute of Sport, went on to be named the first ever, National Team Director for USA Swimming, he guided the British National Team in the teens, and ended his career at his Alma Mater, the University of Alabama, where he led the men’s squad to six top 15 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
Italian Water Polo Player, Carmela “Lilli” Allucci was unable to be with us, but she was part of the class of 2024, as captain of the 2004 Women’s Italian Olympic Water Polo Team, where she and her team won gold in Athens at the Games. In addition, she is a two-time FINA World Champion: 2001 and 1998, and four-time European Champion: 2003, 1999, 1997 and 1995. Lilli was also chosen to carry the flag in the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2004 by all her Italian teammates, in all sports.
During the middle of the ceremonies, ISHOF presented Peter Diamond with the Al Schoenfield Media Award. Diamond’s career spanned 17 Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter. His career began at ABC in 1974, as the Olympic Researcher for the 1974 (Innsbruck) and 1976 (Montreal) Games. In 1977, he moved to NBC as Executive Producer of Olympic Research. He returned to ABC, later in 1980 as Director of Olympic Planning, where he worked until the Olympic rights went back to NBC in 1988. Then so did Diamond, where he was an integral part of scheduling and programming through all the Olympic Games from then through the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Diamond was always a champion of aquatic sports and was partial to their placement in the Olympic Games. He became friends with many of the governing bodies of the sports he broadcast, event ISHOF in the early days.
Russian Diver Yulia Pakhalina became the sixth Russian Diver to be inducted into ISHOF. She is a three-time Olympian, 2000-2004-2008, specializing in the 3-meter springboard. She won the gold medal in the synchronized diving event, on the 3-meter with her partner, Vera Ilyina, in Sydney, 2000. In the next two Olympic appearances, the duo won silver in 2004 and bronze in 2008, while individually on the 3-meter, Yulia won bronze in 2004 and silver in 2008. Yulia is a three-time World Champion, and an eight-time European Champion, five times as a soloist.
Lars Frölander (SWE) is a butterfly and freestyle standout whose career was notable for both its elite performances on the global stage and its longevity. Lars is a six-time Olympian, spanning every Games from 1992 through 2012, etching his name as a headliner in the 100-meter butterfly. While his prowess in that event accounted for his most noteworthy achievements, Frölander also excelled in the 50 butterfly, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, and as a prominent figure on Swedish relays. In addition to his three Olympic medals, (one gold, two silver), Lars was a 21-time medalist between the long-course and short-course versions of the World Championships. Add in 33 medals from the European Championships (long course/short course) and Frölander’s career tally of major international hardware sits at an impressive 57 medals.
To date, all Synchronized Swimmers that have been successful, have had entire teams behind them, usually winning the team medal. But not France’s Virginie Dedieu. Virginie is a three-time Olympian, and her combination of stunning artistry and technical excellence earned her three consecutive FINA World Championship solo titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2000, at the Sydney Olympic Games, Dedieu, and partner, won the bronze medal in the duet. At the 2004 Games in Athens, she placed 5th in the duet. Virginie is a three-time European solo champion and a 40-time French National Champion. In addition to her success in synchronized swimming, Virginie got her degree in architecture and interior design, she coaches, not only other students, but for other countries, is a “master” choreographer, has done television for several Olympic Games, and most recently was on the Paris Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Honor Contributor: Dale Neuburger (USA)
Dale Neuburger is the longest serving American representative in the history of FINA/World Aquatics. He served as the Liaison to the FINA/World Aquatics Technical Swimming Committee for 19 years and was the Technical Delegate for swimming at five Olympic Games – including Paris, 2024. He is also the founding Chairman of the World Aquatics Development Program overseeing the largest grant program in the Olympic family with more than $10 million distributed annually to athletes and developing nations. Neuburger served two terms as President of USA Swimming and later two terms as the President of United States Aquatic Sports, the National Federation member of FINA/World Aquatics. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games he was elected Vice President of FINA, the international federation governing aquatic sports; he was reelected four more times before being elected Treasurer and member of the Executive Committee of World Aquatics, the new name of FINA, in 2021 – and was re-elected in 2023.
Honor Diver Wu Minxia (CHN) is considered one of the greatest divers in the world. She is four-time Olympian, competing in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning five Olympic gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal. In FINA World Championship competition, Wu is an eight-time gold medalist, and she was the only diver in the history of the FINA World Championships to win seven gold medals in the synchronized 3-meter springboard. During her career Wu earned seven individual medals at the World Championships as well.
In Diving World Series Competition, Wu has won 31 gold medals, and in Diving Grand Prix competition, 23 gold. She was also a talent on the 1-meter springboard, winning a flurry of medals on the lower board as well. Wu was named the FINA Athlete of the Year in the female diving category in 2011 and 2012. She retired from competitive diving in late 2016.
Like many of his fellow countryman, Hungarian Honor Swimmer, Daniel Gyurta was a breaststroke specialist, winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in the 200-meter breast, and silver in the 2004 Olympic Games in the same event. He is a four-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), and three-time World Record holder in the 200-meter breast. Gyurta was crowned the 200-meter champion at the FINA World Championships, long course edition, beginning in 2009 for three consecutive meets, 2011, 2013. Gyurta also flourished in the short-course pool, where he was the world-record holder in the 200 breaststroke from 2009 to 2016, and the world champion in 2012 and 2014.
On the eve of his induction, October 4, Gyurta was elected President of the Hungarian Olympic Academy (MOA), as announced by the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB). Daniel and his wife, Ezster Iszak, also became the proud parents of a baby girl, Mirabella, in mid July.
Few relays in history were and stilll are as exciting to watch as the USA Women’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay at the 1976 Olympic Games, swam by Babashoff, Boglioli, Sterkel and Peyton. It was the last event of the Games and the US women had not won one gold medal yet, but these four women were determined to change that fact. Everyone suspected the East German women of doping but it would not be proven for another 40+ years. The night before the race, these four US women visualized themselves winning the gold from start to finish. Now it was time to actually do it.
East Germany led off with its star, Kornelia Ender, who raced opposite Kim Peyton. Peyton led off in 56.95, a strong performance, and while Team USA found itself a body length behind after Ender touched in 55.79, the Americans were within striking distance. On the second leg, Wendy Boglioli produced the fastest split of her career by two seconds, going 55.81 to Petra Priemer’s 56.16 split. For Boglioli, it was the finest effort of her career. 15-year-old Jill Sterkel was given the chore of cutting into the East German lead further. The teenager accomplished her goal, and more, as she posted a split of 55.78, with Andrea Pollack going 56.99. Through 300 meters, the United States was in the lead by .40, with Shirley Babashoff facing off with Claudia Hempel on the anchor leg. Initially a dream, the potential of an American victory was real.
Dealing with a week of frustration and unfairness, Babashoff – with four silver medals behind East Germany – was not going to yield the lead. Producing a split of 56.28, against the 56.56 of Hempel, the United States beat East Germany by .68 and established a world record of 3:44.82, breaking the former mark by four seconds. One of the biggest upsets in Olympic history had been registered, and four women demonstrated what belief and teamwork can do.
ISHOF’s Gold Medallion Award is presented each year to a former competitive swimmer for his or her national or international significant achievements in the field of science, entertainment, art, business, education, or government. The 2024 Gold Medallion was presented this year to Alex Blavatnik (URS/USA). Alex calls our beautiful city, home, part of the year and swims at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center for the Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters; He is a former member of the ISHOF Board and a member of the USA Swimming Foundation’s Board of Directors. He is the current Vice Chairman of Access Industries, Senior Advisor to the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Director of the Blavatnik Archive, and sits on the boards of several educational and charitable institutions.