Hall of Fame pronounces 2026 honorees, headlined by Adrian, Cseh, Fountain and Kromowidjojo

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) has introduced its Class of 2026 Honorees, led by Olympic champions Nathan Adrian, László Cseh, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, open water gold medallist Ferry Weertman and Olympic water polo champion Simone Fountain.

Eleven honorees from seven nations shall be inducted into ISHOF throughout the 61st Annual Induction Ceremonies, held May 16, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, the house of the Hall of Fame.

The 2026 Class spans each main aquatic self-discipline. Honorees embrace: Honor Swimmers Nathan Adrian (USA), László Cseh (HUN) and Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED); Open Water Swimmer Ferry Weertman (NED); Diver Tania Cagnotto (ITA); Water Polo Player Simone Fountain (AUS); Artistic Swimmer Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA); Masters Swimmer Richard Burns (USA); Coach Jane Figueiredo (ZIM); Contributor Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA); and Paralympian Beatrice Hess (FRA).

In anticipation of aquatics’ highest honor, we rejoice exceptional achievements in water sports activities.

Nathan Adrian (USA) is a three-time Olympian and five-time Olympic gold medalist who specialises within the 50- and 100-meter freestyle occasions. He has received 32 medals in main worldwide competitions—gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze—throughout the Olympic Games, World Aquatics Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. Adrian started his swimming profession in Bremerton, Washington, then attended the University of California, Berkeley, the place he was an 11-time NCAA champion beneath coach Dave Durden.

László Cseh (HUN) is a five-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medalist, recognised for being aggressive in each stroke and practically each occasion in world aquatic competitions. He has received 74 medals in worldwide competitors—38 gold, 19 silver, and 17 bronze—spanning the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, and the World Universiade Games.

Notably, the height of Cseh’s profession coincided with American Michael Phelps’ dominance. At the Rio 2016 Games, Cseh tied Phelps and South Africa’s Chad le Clos for silver within the 100 fly behind Joseph Schooling of Singapore. “It was very fun to race against him (Phelps), and he inspired me to be better,” Cseh mentioned when saying his retirement following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In addition to being a 33-time European Champion, Cseh has set 5 World Records, within the IM, his signature occasion.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) is a triple Olympic champion, profitable gold within the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay on the 2008 Olympic Games and silver within the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay at London 2012. She set most of her World Records within the brief course (SCM) 50m freestyle and on numerous Dutch relays. Over her profession, Kromowidjojo has received 178 medals at World Aquatics competitions: 70 gold, 62 silver, and 46 bronze, spanning each World Championships and different main worldwide meets.

Ferry Weertman (NED) is a two-time Olympian, profitable gold within the 10km open water swimming occasion on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Weertman claimed his world title within the 10km on the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest (Lake Balaton), Hungary, after taking silver on the 2015 Worlds in Kazan.  Weertman turned the primary man to win each the Olympic and World titles in open water swimming. He is a two-time World Aquatics Open Water Swimmer of the Year (2016 & 2018).

Tania Cagnotto (ITA) competed in 5 Olympic Games, eight World Championships, eight World Cups, 31 World Series, and 54 FINA Diving Grand Prix occasions. Over her 17-year profession, she improved 12 months by 12 months from 1999 onward. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, she received a silver medal and a bronze medal within the springboard occasions. Her 3m synchronised crew perfected their model and execution to change into one of the best in Europe, capturing eight synchro 3-meter gold medals with teammate Francesca Dallapè, and attaining second on the planet solely to the Chinese groups.

Simone Fountain (AUS) prolonged her profession and took part within the inaugural ladies’s Olympic Games for water polo in Sydney, profitable gold, and was thought to be one of many pre-eminent middle forwards of her period. Her help to Yvette Higgins in Sydney 2000, resulting in Higgins scoring the profitable aim 1.3 seconds from time in opposition to the United States (4-3), stays a notable second in Australian sports activities historical past. This marked the primary time ladies competed in an Olympic water polo event.

Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA) represents a masterclass in sustained crew excellence. She was an important member of the crew that received the primary Olympic gold medal within the creative swimming crew occasion. After the Atlanta Games, a lot of the American crew stayed collectively and had been undefeated in worldwide crew competitors. Prior to 1996, Heather and Team USA received 7 gold medals at main worldwide competitions, together with the Olympics, World Aquatics Championships, and World Cups. Heather started and ended her 18-year creative swimming profession beneath Chris Carver and the Santa Clara Aquamaids. Her USA crew golds additionally included the Pan American Games, French Open, Swiss Open, and the Pan Pacs. With the Aquamaids, Heather additionally received 4 USA National Team championships, because the crew occasion on the French and Mallorca Opens.

Richard Burns (USA) would be the first Masters Swimmer to be inducted into ISHOF in ten years. He has competed in 11 age teams, from 30-34 by way of 80-84, and is presently energetic. As of December 2024, he holds 97 World Records, together with his particular person achievements highlighting his prominence within the sport. Burns has competed in six World Aquatics Masters World Championships, incomes 13 gold, eight silver, and two bronze medals in particular person occasions, totaling 23 particular person World Championship medals. He was inducted into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010, at which level he had already achieved 37 Masters World Records. His file whole of 97 additional marks his impression on the game.                                                                                                       

Jane Figueiredo (ZIM/RUS/GBR) was most not too long ago awarded the 2024 IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award, which is “awarded to a coach who has gone above and beyond in assisting their athletes both on the sporting and the personal side, supporting them through their Olympic journeys.”

When Figueiredo introduced her teaching retirement, a beaming Team GB diver and Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley mentioned, “Look what we did, look what we did!” in a private ‘thank you’ video message for his long-time coach. Daley, who usually highlights Jane’s unwavering assist and thanks her for “everything you did for me during my diving career and teaching me what it meant to be a real athlete.”

Figueiredo was chosen from greater than 110 candidates, nominated by Olympians, International Federations, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), members of the IOC Athletes’ and IOC Athletes’ Entourage commissions, and IOC Members. Jane has coached 13 Olympic medalists, and in World Championship competitors, her divers have received over 15 medals. She has been named World Aquatics Diving Coach of the Year and is a five-time NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year.

Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA) has made vital contributions to open water swimming. He has served in numerous roles, together with athlete, coach, and race director. Cassidy’s biggest affect is as chairman of the World Aquatics Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, the place he oversaw the World Aquatics 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the Open Water Swimming Grand Prix sequence, and the World Open Water Swimming Championships. During his management, marathon swimming was added to the Olympic program on the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games. He was the starter on the first Olympic 10 km Marathon Swim at Beijing 2008 and has helped standardise and professionalise marathon swim judging and staging globally.

Beatrice Hess (FRA) is a five-time Paralympian who has received 25 medals, 20 of them gold. She has cerebral palsy and competed within the S5 incapacity classification. She additionally has 7 World titles and 18 European titles, making her essentially the most embellished French Paralympic swimmer. Hess shot to stardom on her Paralympic debut on the New York 1984 Paralympic Games, incomes 4 gold medals in as many occasions. From there, she was unstoppable, topping the rostrum 16 extra occasions earlier than closing the curtain on her profession after Athens 2004. Hess was the flagbearer on the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Continuing final 12 months’s legacy of excellence, ISHOF shall be formally inducting two Honorees from final 12 months’s class of 2025 who weren’t in a position to be a part of the celebration in Singapore: Coach Gregg Troy (USA) and Swimmer Ryan Lochte (USA).

Ryan Lochte (USA) is a 12-time Olympic medalist, making him the third-most embellished swimmer in Olympic historical past, measured by whole variety of medals, behind solely Team USA teammates Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Lochte’s seven particular person Olympic medals rank second in historical past in males’s swimming, tied for second amongst all Olympic swimmers. Last month, Lochte introduced he can be writing a memoir, writing, “I cannot wait to share this all with you soon. #Book #therealryanlochte #imback.”

Gregg Troy (USA) is a three-time Olympic Coach for the USA, 1996, 2008, and 2012. He has coached many Olympians and Olympic gold medalists, together with Ryan Lochte, Caleb Dressel, and Elizabeth Beisel, to call just some. Troy was the Head Coach of the Bolles School (1977-1997) and the University of Florida Gators (1998-2018), profitable the Women’s NCAAs in 2010.

Troy’s teaching methods, from emphasising that approach needs to be a spotlight in any respect factors within the season to embracing the mentality of “Just When You Thought You’ve Finished Grinding, You GRIND More,” proceed to affect the coaching regimens of aspiring coaches worldwide, making certain that his legacy endures as a catalyst for future successes in aggressive swimming.