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Passages of 2024: Honoring Those We Lost in the Swimming Community This Year
Each year, Swimming World reflects on those who have passed away during the preceding year. In 2024, the swimming community mourned the loss of Olympic swimmers, celebrated coaches such as Jon Urbanchek, and former Swimming World Publisher Brent Rutemiller. Let us now pay tribute to those who are no longer among us.
Jon Urbanchek, Renowned Olympic and Michigan Coach Dies at 87
Jon Urbanchek, one of the most celebrated coaches in swimming history, passed away at the age of 87.
He guided the University of Michigan from 1982 to 2004, achieving an NCAA title, and served as a U.S. coach at various Olympic Games.
“Keep it moving” was his frequently used saying, a guiding principle for both training and life. He mentored 34 Olympic swimmers, who collectively earned seven gold, six silver, and four bronze medals.
He was welcomed into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
He pioneered the Color System of training, which transformed swim coaching by enabling athletes to easily assess and modify their training intensity to align with specific physiological objectives. This color-coded system classified training intensities for swimmers, linking them to particular heart rate zones and levels of effort. This approach facilitates swimmers in understanding and tweaking their training intensity more efficiently.
Former Publisher of Swimming World Magazine and International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) CEO, Brent Rutemiller, passed away after a prolonged fight with cancer. He left this world on June 17, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones.
Rutemiller, a recipient of the ISHOF Lifetime Achievement Award, had waged battles with several types of cancer, managing to put them into remission.
Photo Courtesy: Brent Rutemiller
His journey began with a diagnosis of a rare bone marrow cancer known as plasma cell leukemia in 2021. He managed to achieve remission but faced cancer recurrence in 2022, leading to a bone marrow transplant and stem cell enhancements.
Rutemiller dedicated over 30 years to Swimming World Magazine, serving in a variety of roles, and earned several prestigious awards throughout his life immersed in aquatic endeavors.
He competed at Eastern Kentucky University, but his influence in the sport truly escalated as a coach. He was a Level 5 coach certified by the American Swimming Coaches Association and coached teams across Indiana and Kentucky. Subsequently, he coached with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, the Phoenix Swim Club, and the Scottsdale Aquatic Club, guiding numerous athletes to state titles and All-American accolades.
Rutemiller also made significant contributions to the Special Olympics, coaching several participants at the games through the years.
Two-Time Olympian Susan Pitt Anderson Passes at 76
The swimming community grieved the loss of Susan Pitt Anderson, a two-time Olympian, who died on Friday, Nov. 22. Pitt Anderson made her mark on the sport initially as a top athlete and later in coaching and administrative capacities. A native of New Jersey, she was a significant figure in swimming across the Garden State, notably founding Scarlet Aquatics.
As a standout competitor for the Summit YMCA, Pitt Anderson gained national and international prominence in the early 1960s. In the 1963 season, she set a world record in the 200-meter butterfly, clocking in at 2:29.1 during a competition in Philadelphia. This performance surpassed the former world record (2:30.7) by more than a second, providing a strong lead-up to the Olympic year of 1964.
Although the 200 butterfly was not included in the Olympic lineup for the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Pitt Anderson qualified to represent the United States in the 400 medley relay. In her Olympic debut, she competed in the preliminary heats of the 400 medley relay, aiding Team USA in reaching the final. The U.S. team captured gold in that final, but due to regulations at the time, Pitt Anderson did not receive an Olympic medal for her contribution.
Renowned Diving Coach Ron O’Brien Dies at 86; Leaves a Legacy Like No Other
Dr. Ron O’Brien, a storied figure in the diving realm, passed away at the age of 86. No one can rival the accomplishments O’Brien achieved as a coach in the diving sphere. His resume includes eight terms as USA Olympic diving coach, and he was the head coach seven times, starting in 1968 and continuing through every Olympiad until his last in 1996. He also served as head coach for the USA at seven World Championships, four Pan American Games, and seven World Cups.
O’Brien trained numerous Olympians who collectively won five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals. He will likely be most remembered for the 1988 Olympic Games, where he coached Greg Louganis to his second consecutive double gold medal performance in the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events, making Louganis the only male to achieve back-to-back double golds in the history of Olympic diving. Overall, O’Brien coached divers who secured 196 gold, 113 silver, and 106 bronze medals in major competitions.
Bryan Robbins, SMU Hall of Fame Diver and Coach, 78
Bryan Robbins, a Hall of Fame diver and diving coach known for a remarkable career at Southern“`html
Methodist University, passed on Nov. 2. He was 78 years old.
Robbins was an All-American diver at SMU and mentored Team USA during the 1976 Olympics, also set to return in 1980 before the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games.
Patrick Woepse, Former UCLA Men’s Water Polo Player, passes at 31
Patrick Woepse, a previous water polo player at UCLA and spouse of U.S. women’s national team member Maddie Musselman, passed away on Oct. 10 following a 13-month struggle with cancer. He was 31 years old.
Woepse had been diagnosed with a rare variant of lung cancer, stage 4 NUT carcinoma.
Woepse played at UCLA for five seasons from 2012-16. He was part of Bruins teams that secured NCAA Championships in 2014 and 2015, squads that enjoyed a 57-match winning streak.
Robertas Zulpa, 1980 Olympic Gold Medal Holder, 64
Robertas Zulpa, the 1980 Olympic gold holder in the men’s 200 breaststroke, passed away on Aug. 30. He was 64 years old.
Zulpa was born in Vilnius, now part of Lithuania, yet represented the Soviet Union. He achieved gold in the men’s 200 breast at the boycotted Moscow Olympics with a time of 2:15.85, narrowly missing the winning time of Great Britain’s David Wilkie (2:15.11) from the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Two years later, Zulpa secured silver at the 1982 FINA World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, finishing behind eventual 1984 Olympic champion Victor Davis of Canada.
Steve Gregg, 1976 Olympic Silver Medalist, 68
Steve Gregg, a silver medalist from the 1976 Montreal Olympics, passed away on Sept. 11. He was 68 years old.
Gregg captured silver in the men’s 200 butterfly at the 1976 Olympics, clocking in at 1:59.54, below the existing world record of East Germany’s Roger Pyttel, but trailing behind the record set that day by fellow American Mike Bruner. Bill Forrester completed a podium sweep for the Americans as part of a historically dominant delegation in Montreal.
Former LSU Coach Jeff Cavana Passes at 67
Jeff Cavana, a previous head coach of the LSU Swimming and Diving program for four seasons, passed away at 67.
Cavana took over as LSU’s head coach in August of 2000 after serving as an assistant coach for the Tigers for 10 years. Cavana joined LSU as an assistant under then-head coach Rick Meador in 1989 and was promoted to head coach of the Tiger swimming program when Meador resigned in 2000.
As both a head coach and assistant coach, Cavana played a pivotal role in guiding the LSU women’s team to a top-20 national ranking in nine of his 16 seasons, while the men’s team achieved seven top-20 finishes in national rankings.
Vladimir Bure, Olympic Medalist Swimmer and Notable Hockey Father, 73
Vladimir Bure, who earned four Olympic medals in swimming for the Soviet Union, passed away on Sept. 3. He was 73 years old.
Bure represented the Soviet Union in three Olympic Games: 1968, 1972, and 1976. He secured a bronze in the 100 freestyle in Munich in 1972, behind Americans Mark Spitz and Jerry Heidenriech, along with three relay medals—two in Munich and one in Mexico City. His most significant achievement was garnering silver in the 400 free relay in Munich.
The surname is perhaps most recognized in hockey circles: His sons Pavel Bure and Valeri Bure both played in the National Hockey League for a combined 21 seasons—12 for Pavel and nine for Valeri. Pavel was a seven-time All-Star, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. Valeri was named an All-Star once. The brothers earned Olympic silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002 for Russia.
Scottsdale Coach Bob Platt ‘A Selfless Force Who Lived and Loved Loudly’
Coach of Scottsdale Aquatic Club Bob Platt passed away at the age of 58.
Platt was a beacon in the swimming community due to his coaching and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and others he felt were marginalized.
He trained numerous elite swimmers, including Amy Bilquist, who has known Platt since she was merely 6 years old, and who he coached throughout her professional journey.
The Legacy of Casey Converse; Distance Legend Passes Away at 66
If the aim of swimming is for someone to transition from obscurity to recognition, from anonymity to know name, from participant to champion, then Casey Converse is a testament to what we can all aspire to. Growing up in Mobile, Alabama, swimming for the Chandler YMCA, he made a significant move to California in his junior year of high school to join, enrich, and invigorate the renowned “Animal Lane” at the Mission Viejo Nadadores.
Adored by his teammates, he dedicated himself, improving the practice atmosphere for everyone around him. Occasionally, it was challenging to rise in the morning for practice. His coach Mark Schubert incentivized him with a “20,000 for time” challenge and a lesson in fulfilling his commitments. Casey finished the distance without resentment, accepting his responsibilities as a team member.
Swimming in Australia Grieves The Departure of Pioneer Coach Myee Baumer
Swimming in Australia mourned the loss of the highly esteemed coaching pioneer, Myee Baumer, who peacefully passed away at Narrabeen’s RSL Retirement Village in Sydney. Myee was 85.
A groundbreaking coach at all levels, she taught thousands of Australian children to swim – paving a path for a lifelong skill – and for some – including her own daughter Susie Baumer, guiding them towards the Olympics.
Carolyn Schuler Jones, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Passes at 81
Carolyn Schuler Jones was a two-time Olympic gold medalist during the 1960 Olympic Games held in Rome.
She passed away on July 22, 2024, at the age of 81.
Schuler Jones secured the gold medal in the 100 butterfly in Rome and was part of the gold medal-winning medley relay team for the United States at the age of 17.
Frank O’Neill, The First Australian To Break 60 Seconds in 110 Yards, Dies Aged 97
One of Australia’s oldest surviving Olympians and Commonwealth Games medallists, Frank O’Neill, passed away peacefully at home in his cherished suburb of Manly, aged 97.
O’Neill was born in Manly in September 1926 and became one of the iconic sporting figures of the renowned Sydney seaside suburb – a life that took him around the globe and back to the Olympics and the French Riviera.
A versatile champion swimmer, he was the first Australian to swim 110 yards freestyle under a minute, and he was also a champion surf lifesaver, a skilled water polo player, and a swim coach to film stars who later became a horse whisperer.
David Wilkie, British 1976 Olympic Champion, Passes at 70
David Wilkie, a world record-setting breaststroker and ISHOF inductee who won gold…
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at the 1976 Olympic Games, passed away on May 22. He was 70 years old.
Born while his parents were stationed abroad in Sri Lanka and raised in Scotland, Wilkie emerged as the leading male breaststroker of his time. He earned a silver in the 200 breast at the 1972 Olympic Games, then secured silver in the 100 breast and gold in the 200 at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. His gold concluded a 68-year drought for British men since the last gold medal.
Dual Olympian Neil Rogers – Bondi Icebergs’ Lord Of The Lanes Leaves A Significant Legacy
Tributes flowed like the waves at Sydney’s renowned Bondi Beach following the loss of a local icon “Mr Bondi Icebergs” – a two-time Olympian, mentor, ocean enthusiast, and all-around good man Neil Rogers.
Neil was the resident coach for Bondi Icebergs, the master of the pool deck – who competed against Mark Spitz in the 100m butterfly final in Munich in 1972 and became a two-time Olympian in Montreal in 1976 – winning Commonwealth Games gold in Christchurch in 1974 – also a champion in surfing.
Joana Neves, Brazilian Paralympic Medalist, Age 37
Joana Neves, a Brazilian athlete who garnered five medals throughout the last three Paralympic Games, passed away on March 18. She was 37 years old.
Neves earned a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympics in the S5 50 butterfly. She claimed three medals on home soil four years later in Rio, including silver in the S5 50 free, bronze in the S5 100 free, and mixed freestyle relay silver.
Hall of Fame Coach Maureen Sheehan, 65
Inducted into the Hall of Fame, swimming coach Maureen Sheehan passed away on March 17. She was 65 years old.
Born and raised in Janesville, Wisconsin, Sheehan secured a swimming scholarship at Kansas University, where she served as a team captain and was a two-time AIAW All-American under coach Gary Kempf.
Sheehan realized coaching was her destiny at the age of nine. She commenced her coaching career in 1980 in Hutchinson, Kansas, and became part of the Lake Forest Swim Club staff outside of Chicago in January 1981.
“Coach Mo” took charge of the program in 1984, guiding five Olympic athletes (including Americans Conor Dwyer and Matt Grevers) and leading her swimmers to 51 state championships over the following 38 years. She concluded her coaching journey in 2018. She sent swimmers to every Olympic Trials from 1988-2008 and was part of USA Swimming’s national team staff in 1986. Among her students was American record holder Kristin MacGregor.
Judy McGowan, ISHOF Artistic Swimmer Inductee
Judy McGowan, a veteran synchronized and artistic swimming competitor, mentor, and official, passed away on March 10.
McGowan was a prominent figure in American synchronized swimming for over fifty years, including serving as the Founding President of U.S. Synchronized Swimming in 1977. She also led the organization from 1984-1988. She literally authored the foundational text on the sport, serving as editor and primary author of the First International Training Manual for Synchronized Swimming Judges in 1979 and the first FINA Judging Manual in 1988 (updated in 1992).
McGowan was engaged in the sport for well over fifty years. A 2009 inductee to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, her journey began in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1953. Her connections to the sport extend even further, having been coached by 1912 Olympic gold medalist Belle Moore Cameron of Great Britain.
Giuseppe D’Altrui, Italian Water Polo Legend, 89
Giuseppe D’Altrui, a remarkable figure in Italian water polo, passed away on Feb. 26. He was 89 years old.
D’Altrui led Italy to gold at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. He also participated in the 1956 team that finished fourth and captained the squad in 1964. He guided Italy to victory at the 1955 and 1963 Mediterranean Games and at the 1958 and 1959 World Military Championships. His accolades include Mediterranean Games silver in 1959, European Championships bronze in 1954, and World University Games bronze in 1959.
Sonia O’Neal, Barbados Swimming Leader, Age 72
Sonia O’Neal, the past president of the Barbados Amateur Swimming Association, passed away on Feb. 16. She was 72 years old.
O’Neal was an influential personality in Caribbean swimming, affectionately referred to by many as “Aunty Sonia” due to the warmth she brought to the sport.
She initially became involved as a swim parent to her sons Christopher O’Neal and Philip O’Neal at the Alpha Sharks Swim Club. She ascended to the position of club president and joined the BASA board in 1996. In 1998, she became BASA’s Second Vice President and served as president from 2000 to 2012, representing BASA at the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome.
O’Neal was present at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a FINA Technical Official and worked as a World Cup Video Review Referee in Abu Dhabi later that same year.
Michael Jennings, Channel Swimmer and Olympic Torch Bearer, 85
Michael Jennings, who swam the English Channel and whose open water achievements earned him a place in the 2012 London Olympic torch relay, passed away on Jan. 15. He was 85 years old.
Jennings was from Kent and was a member of the Channel Swimming Association for 65 years. He completed his initial crossing of the Channel, from France to England, in 1960 at 22 years old, taking 13 hours and 31 minutes. In 1966, he became the 25th individual to swim in the reverse direction, completing it in 13 hours and 2 minutes, marking the fastest crossing of that year. He was the first person from Kent to swim the English Channel.
Lance Larson, Former World-Record Holder Wrongfully Denied Olympic Gold, Passes Away at 83
Lance Larson, a former world-record holder in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM, as well as a medalist at the 1960 Olympic Games, died on January 19 at the age of 83. Larson had been a long-time resident of Southern California, attending USC before later working as a dentist in Orange County while still partaking in Masters swimming.
Larson was the inaugural high school swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle and later became the first individual to ever break 1:00 in the 100-meter fly, setting a world record twice in 1960 before competing at the Rome Olympics. However, Larson is primarily remembered for the events in Rome, when a disputed judgment from the head referee led to him being denied…
him Olympic gold in the 100 freestyle.
The Olympic swimming schedule in 1960 featured just six individual men’s events along with two relays, excluding both of Larson’s world-record events. This left the 100 freestyle as his sole opportunity for an individual medal, and Larson competed against Australia’s John Devitt in the final stretch of the event. Larson seemed to hit the wall first, but amid significant controversy, Devitt was announced as the victor, relegating Larson to silver.
Richard Thornton, 1980 Olympian and Renowned Coach, Passes Away at 65
An accomplished national-level swimmer and coach, Richard Thornton was the head coach of San Ramon Valley Aquatics and a member of the U.S. Olympic team for the 1980 Games that were boycotted.
Richard Thornton, aged 65, was the child of the late Nort Thornton, who served as the head men’s swimming coach at Cal for many years and passed away in 2021. Thornton trained under his father with the Golden Bears before completing his studies at Berkeley and establishing San Ramon Valley Aquatics in 1984. He later coached Olympic and World Championship finalists and future NCAA All-Americans at SRVA, and was involved with U.S. National Team coaching staffs on multiple occasions throughout the 1990s.
Sam Greetham, Honor Administrator, Great Britain, 2024
Sam Greetham was a technical member of the FINA Technical Open Water Committee (TOWSC) from 2009 to 2022, serving as Secretary of the Committee from 2019 to 2022. In 2008, he held the position of Team Manager for Great Britain, securing 3 out of the 6 available medals. He was the Chief Referee for Open Water at the Olympic Games in 2012 and was an Organizer in 2016 and 2021. Sam acted as a FINA School Lecturer within the FINA Technical Open Water Community from 2008 until 2023.
In Europe, Samuel was the Secretary of the LEN Technical Open Water Committee from 2000 to 2023 before becoming Chairperson from 2018 to 2023 (and onwards).
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