Class of 2007 Announced for ISHOF

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, January 24. THE International Swimming Hall of Fame is proud to announce its class of Inductees for 2007. The group of nine great athletes, coaches and contributors will be inducted at its annual induction ceremonies, to be held May 12 in Fort Lauderdale.

The prestigious class includes: Honor Swimmers, Penny Heyns of South Africa, Amy Van Dyken of the USA; Honor Diver, Sun Shuwei, from China; Mikako Kotani, Honor Synchronized Swimmer of Japan; Manuel Estiarte, Honor Water Polo Player of Spain; Ratko Rudic, Honor Water Polo Coach, representing Yugoslavia, Italy, USA and Croatia; Debbie Muir, Honor Synchronized Swimming Coach from Canada; Bob Helmick of the USA, will be inducted, posthumously, as an Honor Contributor; as will Sydney Battersby of Great Britain as an Honor Pioneer.

These nine honorees will be joined by a Gold Medallion recipient, who is yet to be confirmed.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has inducted more than 600 athletes and aquatic greats since its inception in 1965.

This year's honorees join an elite group of the greatest aquatic athletes ranging from Buster Crabbe, Greg Louganis, and Johnny Weissmuller to Donna deVarona and Mark Spitz.

Criteria for selection include:
–No participating swimmer shall be chosen unless retired from competition at least four years, or at least one Olympic quadrennial. "Swimmer" and "Swimming" refer to swimmers, divers, water polo players and synchronized swimmers. A swimmer's international career record is of most importance.
–A coach must have a significant international record and have been coaching at least 25 years.
–A contributor must have been in swimming not less than 25 years and have had a significant international impact.
–Milestones: Achievements and innovations that have had a profound effect on swimming and/or its administration should be recorded.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame induction caps three days of activities ranging from receptions with the International Business Council, the FINA Diving Grand Prix, an Australian Barbeque and the Induction ceremony.

Tickets for the International Swimming Hall of Fame events range from sponsorship levels of $50,000 to $500 for the induction ceremony, down to $200 to $45 for ticket packages to selected events. For additional information, call Meg Keller-Marvin at the International Swimming Hall of Fame at 954 474-7010.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use