The International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) is proud to announce that Wolf-Rüdiger Schulz will be inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018 during the IMSHOF Induction ceremonies in Jacksonville, Florida, Friday evening, September 28, 2018.
The induction will be held in conjunction with the United States Aquatic Sports convention.
Wolf-Rüdiger Schulz started swimming early on, but soon concentrated his talents on water polo, where he developed his skills fast, however, he did keep swimming as well. He was named the team-captain of the Spandau 04 junior water polo team and led the team to win the 1957 North-German Championship. He was also training with the adult team at that time. In 1959, Schulz met the then national water polo coach Miklós Sárkány. He saw Schulz’s talent right away and predicted a bright future for him. In 1960, Schulz played in his first game for the German National Team against Sweden and became the first water polo player from Berlin to play internationally after World War II.
Schulz won national water polo titles in 1963 and 1965, winning multiple national championships in swimming at the same time.
His international success in water polo however had to wait, as the 1962 European Championships in Leipzig were boycotted because of the construction of the Berlin wall. His team also missed a ticket to the 1964 Olympic Games after losing against the East German Team.
In 1968, Schulz qualified to play on the Olympic team again and this time it was a different story. Even though the team placed a disappointing ninth, he was voted onto the Olympic-Dream team, which made him one of the top 14 players of the Olympic tournament.
He retired from Olympic competition afterward but continues to stay involved with the sport even today. In 2000, Schulz found his way to Masters water Polo and at the age of 60 and won his first Masters World Championships alongside other former national players. Schulz has participated in numerous German, European and World Championships in the Masters category. He was German champion in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. He was a European champion in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and a Masters World champion in 2000, 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Schulz has competed for a number of different teams while competing as a Master.
In 1998-2000, he played for Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 in the age-group 35+ (Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 is for the last 37 years, 34 times German Champion)
In the years, 2001-2005, he competed for Düsseldorf and from 2006 to present, Schulz has been a member of SV Cannsatt. He also helped recruit water polo legend, coach Alfred Balens, who many believe guarantee future success for his team.
Schulz will be inducted as part of a group of nine (9) outstanding individuals will be inducted at the IMSHOF’s annual ceremony. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in conjunction with the 2018 United States Aquatic Sports XXXVIX Convention.
The prestigious IMSHOF class of 2018 includes four swimmers, two divers, one synchronized swimmer, one water polo player and one contributor, from five (5) different countries: the USA, Austria, Germany, Brazil and Japan:
SWIMMER INDUCTEES: MAURINE KORNFELD (USA), HITOMI MATSUDA (JPN), MARCUS MATTIOLI (BRA), JURGEN SCHMIDT (USA),
DIVER INDUCTEES: MARY BENNETT (USA), IRMTRAUD BOHN (AUT)
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER INDUCTEE: BETH CAREY (USA),
WATER POLO PLAYER INDUCTEE: WOLF-RÜDIGER SCHULZ (GER)
CONTRIBUTOR INDUCTEE: WALT REID (USA)
In addition to honoring the IMSHOF Honorees, ISHOF will be recognizing Swimming World Magazine’s Top Ten Masters Swimmers from 2017.
Swimming World Magazine‘s Top Twelve Masters Swimmers for 2017 are:
Men – Rick Colella (USA), Sergey Geybel (RUS), Nicolas Granger (FRA), Karl Hauter (GER), Willard Lamb (USA), and Darian Townsend (USA)
Women – Noriko Inada (USA), Maurine Kornfeld (USA), Betty Lorenzi (USA), Karlyn Pipes (USA), Diann Uustal (USA), and Laura Val (USA).
The event is open to the public and free of charge. Book Your Hotel
About IMSHOF
The purpose of the IMSHOF is to promote a healthy lifestyle, lifelong fitness and participation in adult aquatic programs by recognizing the achievements of individuals who serve as an example for others. To be considered, honorees must have participated in Masters programs through at least four different masters age groups and are qualified by an objective point system based on world records, world top 10 rankings and World Championship performances. The IMSHOF is a division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, please visit: www.ishof.org
About ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. (ISHOF), established in 1965, is a not-for-profit educational organization located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Recognized by FINA, the International Olympic Committee’s recognized governing body for the aquatic sports in 1968, its mission is to preserve the history of swimming, celebrate the heroes, promote the benefits and importance of swimming as a key to fitness, good health, quality of life, and the water safety of all children and adults, and connect older generations of swimmers to youth.
