Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps set to be inducted into International Swimming Hall of Fame
Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is set to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame class of 2023. The induction ceremony will be held in September in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
He, along with his career-long childhood coach Bob Bowman, and Paralympian Trischa Zorn-Hudson are the few notable new inductees.
Michael Phelps is the biggest name in the International Swimming Hall of Fame Class '23
Athletes who have been retired for four years or at least one Olympic quadrennial are eligible for induction.
If otherwise eligible, those 30 years of age and older who have not formally retired may be given consideration for induction.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps announced his retirement with an Olympic record of 28 medals (23 gold medals). Last year, he was admitted into the US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Here is the list of inductees in the Hall of Fame Class '23
- Michael Phelps (Swimmer)
- Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Paralympics Swimmer)
- Missy Franklin (Swimmer)
- Kirsty Coventry (Swimmer)
- Kosuke Kitajima (Swimmer)
- Cesar Cielo (Swimmer)
- Wu Minxia (Diver)
- Natalia Ischenko (Artistic Swimmer)
- Heather Petri (Water Polo Player)
- Stèphane Lecat (Open-Water Swimmer)
- Chris Carver (Coach)
- Bob Bowman (Coach)
- Sam Ramsamy (Special Contributor)
All about other inductees in the International Swimming Hall of Fame Class '23
Apart from Michael Phelps, a number of athletes are set to join the Hall of Fame.
From 1980 to 2004, Trischa Zorn-Hudson earned 55 medals, becoming the first Paralympian to be admitted into the Hall of Fame. Last year, she was also enshrined in the U.S. Olympics and Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Missy Franklin, a backstroke and freestyler who retired in 2018, finished the 2012 Olympics as a rising high school senior and earned four gold medals and one bronze. She works on the national campaign Saving Lives Is Always in Season and is an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation.
Kirsty Coventry, a fellow backstroke five-time Olympian, won seven medals in the 2004 and 2008 Games. She is Zimbabwe's first and only individual medalist at the Olympics. She is currently serving as the chairperson of the International Olympics Committee.
Many people believe Kosuke Kitajima to be the best backstroker in history. With seven overall medals in four Olympic appearances. He's the first and only Olympic swimmer to win all breaststroke competitions in a single Olympic event.
Cesar Cielo is the most successful Brazilian Olympic swimmer of all time. He is the first and only Olympic gold medalist for Brazil. He has accumulated three Olympic medals and six World Championship medals.
Wu Minxia is one of the most accomplished divers in history. She won the world championship eight times and the Olympic and Asian championships five times each.
Russian artistic swimmer Natalia Ischenko, who won five Olympic golds, is also on the list for the Hall of Fame Class '23.
Heather Petri played on the top four US women's water polo Olympic teams and won four medals, including a gold in 2012, her last Olympics.
At the 2001 World Championships, Frenchman Stéphane Lecat won bronze in the 25-kilometer open water race.
Chris Carver and Bob Bowman are the two coaches who are also set to get inducted. Sam Ramsamy, a South African sports administrator, is also on the list.