The International Swimming Hall of Fame has announced their class of 2012, which is the 48th class to be inducted.
This year’s class has a bit-less name recognition to Americans, but it’s certainly no less impressive. It includes Italy’s first ever Olympic champion, a four-time Olympian, and in a bit of an unusual move, the current president of FINA, Julia Manglione. This is a huge shift from the early years of the HOF, where in 1965 the first class included 17 Americans.
The full list of inductees is below. This year’s Hall of Fame induction weekend will be May 11th-12th, and will again include a stop of the FINA Diving Grand Prix.
Domenico Fioravanti (ITA) – In 2000, Fioravanti became the first Italian swimmer to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games, winning both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke races.
József Szabó (HUN) – Won the Olympic gold medal in Seoul at the 1988 Olympics along with one World Championship and three European Championships in the 200m breastroke.
Gustavo Borges (BRA) – Competed in four Olympic Games, 1992 – 2004 winning four Olympic medals (two silver & two bronze in the 100 & 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle relay)
Tian Liang (CHN) – Off the ten-meter platform, he won two gold, one silver & one bronze medal in 2 Olympic Games (2000 & 2004) and won – World Championship titles (1998 & 2001).
Jill Sudduth (USA) – Won gold in the team and duet events at the 1994 World Championships and was a member of the 1996 US Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team that received a perfect score and also won the gold medal.
Jesus Miguel Rollan Prada (ESP) – One of the all-time great goalkeepers, he articipated in five Olympic Games, winning one gold (1996) & one silver medal (1992).
Chad Hundeby (USA) – Won FINA’s 1st Open Water World Championship (1991), broke a 16-year-old English Channel Crossing record in 1994 and won almost every major long distance race in the world during his career.
Laszlo Kiss (HUN) – As Hungarian Nat. Team Coach for over 40 years, his swimmers won ten Olympic & eight World Championship medals.
Frank Kurtz (USA) – In the era of American domination, he was the first U.S. diver to qualify for three Olympic teams, won the bronze medal at the 1932 Olympic Games in 10m platform and later became a famous as World War II pilot.
Eldon Godfrey (CAN) – Over thirty-eight years of involvement in international aquatic sport administration as diving judge, FINA Bureau Member (1996-2009), President of UANA 2007-2011 and now Honorary Member of the FINA Bureau.
Dr. Julio Maglione (URU) When elected President of FINA in 2009, it capped a career of lifetime service to international sports that began in 1955 as a swimmer in the Pan American Games and which has included positions as President of his National Swimming Federation, the Confederacion Sudamericana de Natacion, UANA and membership on the IOC, to name a few.