MICKI KING IS ONE IN A THOUSAND

Micki King, ISHOF Honoree and 1972 Olympic gold medalist is special.  She is One in a Thousand!

When asked why she wanted to join the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s One in a Thousand Club, King said, “From way back in the early Michigan, Buck Dawson days it has been part of my DNA, it’s in my blood.  I’m loyal to that and I’ll never let it go.  I guess I wanted to make this official through One in a Thousand!”

Join the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.

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For larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us at customerservice@ishof.org.

About Micki King

Micki King grew up in Pontiac, Michigan. She spent summers on a lake jumping off the docks, playing in the water with the fish, and wading along the weed-filled shoreline with sand between her toes. King says, "It was a glorious childhood."

When winter rolled around, and days at the lake were over, Micki drove her parents crazy. So, her Mother took Micki to the local YMCA that had "Girls Day" two times a week. And, yes, Micki was excited about swimming in the winter!!  But swimming indoors was very different starting with a shower first.  Who showers before swimming.....she thought!!  That first day as the door to the pool opened, she was hit with the odor of chlorine and a wall of hot air. Everything was so clean and sterile. And there were no fish, no weeds, no sand, no fun. The only intriguing part of this indoor pool was the diving board.  This is when Micki King began the sport that changed her life.

The next five years she spent her winters jumping off the board at the YMCA. It was the fifth year, when she was 15, that the new YMCA lifeguard began to give Micki coaching tips that soon led to YMCA competitions and eventually to AAU meets.

Then she tried out for her high school team. The swim coach knew immediately Micki had talent and let her practice with the boy’s team.  But she was not allowed to compete in high school. It was pre-Title IX. After high school, she attended the University of Michigan. Again, she could not compete in college, but Hall of Famer, Dick Kimball, coached Micki in college alongside his men divers. Kimball believed in her and he was right. In a single year she was the US National Indoor Platform and National Outdoor 3-meter champion and named Diver-of-the-Year. 

In addition to her diving prowess, Micki was on the Ann Arbor Swim Club AAU Water Polo team during her years at Michigan. She was recruited to be team goalie by ISHOF Inductee Buck Dawson and his wife Rosemary and, as goalie, Micki helped the polo team win two National Championships. Micki graduated from Michigan in 1966 and joined the United States Air Force. She began her military career assigned to the University of Michigan Air Force ROTC detachment and was able to practice with Dick Kimball after her job every day. 

Micki made her first Olympic Team in 1968 and was the front runner in the 3-meter Springboard event at the Mexico Olympic Games with two dives to go. Preforming her ninth of ten dives, she hit the diving board and broke her arm. Micki did her last dive with a broken arm and finished fourth - no medal. Months in a cast were followed by a year of recovery and three more years getting back in top form for the 1972 Olympic Games.  Her perseverance and determination prevailed. King won Olympic Gold in Munich. All told, Micki King won Olympic Gold, two Pan American Silver medals and 10 US National Championships.  She was an Air Force Lieutenant at the Mexico Games and a Captain in Munich.  Micki retired as a Colonel with 26 years active duty service.  She retired a second time after 10 years as the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Kentucky.

In 1974, Micki, joined Billie Jean King, Donna deVarona, and Wyomia Tyus as one of the original founders of the Women’s Sports Foundation.  She was a member of its Board of Trustees and served on the Foundations Board of Stewards.  These women lived through the era when girls could not compete alongside boys. Micki believes it is important that today’s girls know sports in high school and college did not exist for them before Title IX.  This bill passed decades ago, changed sports forever at all levels.  Micki is proud to be among the pioneers that pushed for the passage of Title IX.   

  

Today Micki is still involved with both the Air Force and USA Diving. She is on a panel of officers that interviews candidates for nomination to the Air Force Academy. She also serves on the USA Diving Foundation Board. Micki has two children, and two grandchildren.

And so, the International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you too are One in a Thousand?  We think you are!  Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One in a Thousand” Club.  Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!

During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.

“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board

“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.”  – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF

Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.

About ISHOF   Take a Virtual Tour

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) museum opened its doors to the public in December of 1968 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That same year, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic History”.   In 2018, Sports Publications Inc, publisher of Swimming World Magazine and its multi-media platforms, merged with ISHOF to expand the museum’s reach and impact.  Today, ISHOF’s vision is to be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports.  Show your support for the sport of swimming by becoming a member of ISHOF.

ISHOF Vision Statement
To be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports.

ISHOF Mission Statement
To collaborate with aquatic organizations worldwide to preserve, educate and celebrate history, showcase events, share cultures, and increase participation in aquatic sports.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, incorporated in the State of Florida. Contributions to ISHOF are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. ISHOF’s tax identification number is 59-1087179. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR FROM THE WEBSITE, www.800helpfla.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. You can find out more about us on guidestar.org under International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc.

HAPPY BIRTDAY SUSIE ATWOOD !!!

SUSIE ATWOOD (USA)

1992 HONOR SWIMMER

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 Olympic team member; 1972 Olympic bronze (100m backstroke); 1972 Olympic silver ( 200m backstroke); WORLD RECORD:  1 (200m backstroke); 3 WORLD RECORDS: relays; 18 AAU (100yd & 200yd backstroke, 200yd & 400yd individual medley); 5 AAU relays; Won 100yd & 200yd backstroke four consecutive years (indoors); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1971 silver (100m & 200m backstroke, 200m individual medley), bronze (400m individual medley); Long domination in the AAU Nationals; Held 200m backstroke World Records three years.  AMERICAN RECORDS (Short Course): 9 (100yd & 200yd backstroke, 200yd & 400yd individual medley), 4 relays; AMERICAN RECORDS (Long Course): 2 (100m & 200m backstroke), 5

A dominant figure in United States swimming from 1969 through 1971, Susie Atwood's record in U.S. National Championships was outstanding.  She captured 23 national titles during her career which included a berth on two Olympic teams.  A four-time World Record holder in the 200-meter backstroke and as a backstroker on the 400-meter medley relay, her prowess as America's finest backstroke and individual medley swimmer of her era distinguishes her among the best in swimming history.

Sue began swimming at age seven under Jim Montrella at the Lakewood Aquatic Club in Long Beach, California, becoming one of the most consistent swimmers at the elite level.  She is a six-time Bob Kiphuth High Point Award winner at the U.S. National Championships, second only to Tracy Caulkins who won a record 12 times.  Sue set a total of 20 American records in the backstroke and individual medley as well as a relay team member.

At age fifteen, Atwood qualified as the top seed in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1968 Games in Mexico City but failed to make the finals.  Sue's disappointing Olympic debut fueled the fire for her road to the '72 Games in Munich when she placed second to her teammate, Melissa Belote, in the 200-meter backstroke and took the bronze in the 100-meter backstroke.  She held the American Record in the 400 I.M., but because of conflicts in the competition schedule, she did not swim the individual medley in Munich.  Previous to that she had set the world record in the 200-meter backstroke. She had competed in the 1971 Pan American Games, winning five silver medals and a bronze.  Beginning in 1969, she received the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times.

Susie's contributions to swimming continued after she retired from competition. She went on to become an inspirational speaker and representative for Arena as well as swimming coach at Ohio State University.

ISHOF receives the Dale Neuburger collection......

The Dale Neuburger Collection

Just recently, ISHOF was lucky enough to receive a large donation of memorabilia from longtime ISHOF friend and former Board Member, Mr. Dale Neuburger.

Neuburger’s collection, that he generously gave to ISHOF, dates to 1982, when Dale was the first manager of the Natatorium in Indianapolis.  Some of the earliest items in Neuburger’s collection are from the 1984 USA Swimming Olympic Trials that were held at the Natatorium in Indianapolis. 

In addition to managing the Natatorium, Neuburger was on the USA Swimming Board of Directors for 28 years, from 1990 through 2018. Beginning in 1995, Dale was elected Vice President of FINA, Federation Internationale De Natation, a position he held for 25 years.

In his capacity as the VP of FINA, Neuburger travelled to many events around the world including the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, World Championships, and Aquatic World Championships.

The collection Neuburger donated to ISHOF consists of items from many of these events such as clothing, plush mascots, credentials, programs, medals, gifts, etc.  It is a fabulously complete collection from this time period! ISHOF is so grateful to Mr. Neuburger for his generosity.

Even though Neuburger is retired from swimming now after over thirty plus years of service, he stills finds a way to keep on giving.  We cannot thank you enough Dale!

See pictures of just some of the great items in the Neuburger collection.

Happy Birthday FORBES CARLILE....REMEMBERING THE GREAT ONES

Forbes and Ursula Carlile

FORBES CARLILE (AUS)

1976 Honor Coach

FOR THE RECORD:  OLYMPIC GAMES: Australia's first modern pentathlon Olympic competitor (1952) and youngest Olympic coach (1948); Olympic Coach 1956 (Australia), 1964 (Holland); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Coach 1973 (Australia); 9 World Record holders; Numerous Australian champions and record holders; Organized the Australian Swimming Coaches Association.

Forbes Carlile, a graduate physiologist and lecturer at the University of Sydney, was and is a pioneer in scientific training -- interval workouts (1940s), pace clock (1946), heart rate tests for assessing effort (1956), training under stress and T-Wave study. 

His book, "Forbes Carlile on Swimming" (1963), was the first modern book on competitive swimming and it is still significant for it's consideration of "tapering" and it's historical development of the crawl stroke.  

Clinics have taken him, with his Olympic coaching wife and partner, Ursula, to Mainland China, Japan, USSR, Ethiopia, Puerto Rico, Holland, North and South America.  

The Carlile swimming organization, operating on the north shore of Sydney, has 60 full and part-time coaches teaching 1,400 lessons per week with classes of eight levels -- from babies to Olympic swimmers.  Carlile has been swim color man for ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) for 31 years at Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Nationals, and has produced five feature movies.  Carlile's concepts have included even-pace (negative split), starting young, "better a has-been than a never-was", "speed through endurance", and the arm dominated high tempo two-beat (kick) crawl.

This was Carlile's bio written in 1976, the year he was inducted into ISHOF.  He went on to coach and work for 35 more years.  If we were to rewrite his bio now, it would be a great deal longer.

Forbes Carlile, one of the greatest Swim Coaches of our times.......

His wife, Ursula is being inducted this year as an Honor Coach as part of the Class of 2020.

Happy Birthday GIORGIO CAGNOTTO !!!

GIORGIO CAGNOTTO

1992 Honor Diver

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964, 1968 Olympic team member; 1972 silver (3m springboard), bronze (10m platform); 1976 silver (3m springboard); 1980 bronze (3m springboard); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1978 bronze (3m springboard); FINA CUP: 1979 (3m springboard); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1966 bronze (3m springboard); 1970 gold (3m springboard), bronze (10m platform); 1974 silver (3m springboard); 1977 silver (3m springboard); EUROPEAN DIVING CUPS: 1967 gold (3m springboard); 1969 gold (10m platform); 1975 gold (3m springboard); 1976 gold (3m springboard). on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.  He is the producer of the prize-winning documentary, "Hobie's Heroes".  Hobie's greatest pride is in the fact that there are more diving coaches in the high school and college ranks in the U.S. that have graduated from Indiana University under his tutelage than from any other university.

Italy's Giorgio Cagnotto was one of the world's most prolific divers during the 1960s and 1970s.  At the age of eight, he began to train with this uncle, professional diver Lino Quattrrini.  Just eight years later he found himself competing in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, kicking off an Olympic career of epic proportion.

Cagnotto's Olympic appearances spanned three decades, competing in five consecutive Olympic Games.  He was best off the springboard, but medaled in the platform as well. After Tokyo, he competed in Mexico City in 1968, but it was during his third Olympic effort in the '72 Munich Games that he earned a silver medal for his performance on the springboard and a bronze in the platform competition.  At the 1976 Montreal Games, he won his third Olympic medal-- a silver in the springboard competition.  He retired at the age of thirty-two after earning his fourth Olympic medal at the 1980 Moscow Games where Cagnotto again medaled in the springboard competition, taking the bronze.

Giorgio was competing at a time when diving competition was dominated by fellow countryman Klaus Dibiasi, the only diver to win gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games.  Giorgio was as far in advance of the rest of the sport as Klaus was of him.  Between them, the red, white, and green Italian flag was raised many times in international competition.  Holder of two gold, two silver, and two bronze European Cup Championships and a medal winner in every European championship from 1966 through 1977, Cagnotto won eight outdoor and twelve indoor Italian National Championships.

Both Cagnotto and Dibiasi were coached by Papa Dibiasi, a former Italian National Champion with a long career in the sport. Papa retired just in time so as not to be competing against his son and Cagnotto.  The only medal winner to dive in five consecutive Olympic Games, Giorgio Cagnotto is presently the Italian National Team Coach and the Federal Technical Director of Diving, living in Bolzano, Italy, with his wife.  His daughter, Tania Cagnotto is also an Olympic Diving medalist.  Giorgio Cagnotto is a true legend representing excellence and longevity in a sport demanding commitment, style and grace.

Happy Birthday JOHNNY "Tarzan" WEISSMULLER

JOHNNY WEISSMULLER (USA)

1965 Honor Swimmer

FOR THE RECORD:  OLYMPIC GAMES: 1924 gold (100m, 400m freestyle; 4x200m freestyle relay), bronze (water polo); 1928 gold (100m freestyle; 4x200m freestyle relay); WORLD RECORDS: 51; U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 52; Played Tarzan in 16 movies.

Johnny Weissmuller holds no current world swimming records and by today's Olympic standards, you might say he never swam very fast, but you can't get anyone who ever saw him swim say that there ever was a greater swimmer.  This was the verdict of 250 sportswriters at A.P.'s mid-century poll and it is still the verdict 15 years later.

He was the swim great of the 1920's Golden Age of Sports, yet because of the movies and TV, he is as much a part of the scene in the 1960s as he was in the 1920s when his name was coupled with sports immortals such as Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey and Red Grange.  He is the only one of this group more famous today than in the "Golden Age."

Weissmuller set many world records and won 5 gold medals in two Olympics (1924 and 1928).  He never lost a race in 10 years of amateur swimming in distances from 50 yards to 1/2 mile.  Johnny's 51 seconds 100 yard freestyle record set June 5, 1927, in the University of Michigan Union Pool stood for 17 years until it was broken by Alan Ford at Yale in 1944.  The 100 yd. distance is swum more often than any other, yet in 17 years, only one man ever swam it faster.  That man was Johnny Weissmuller, who later, as a professional in the Billy Rose World's Fair Aquacade swam 48.5 at the New York Athletic Club while training Walter Spence to win the nationals.  For those who think swimmers must be teenage bobby-soxers, it might be of interest to note that Spence was 35 at the time and Weissmuller was 36.

His record of 52 national championship gold medals should stand forever.  He is famous for his chest high crawl stroke seen by millions in Olympic swim stadiums, on movie screens and on TV, but he also held world records in the backstroke and never lost a race in that stroke.  "I got bored," says Johnny, "so I swam on my back where I could spend more time looking around."  Weissmuller set 51 world records in his ten years as an amateur but many more times he broke world records and never turned in the record applications.  Every time he swam, the crowd expected a new record, so Johnny learned pace.  He learned how to shave his records a tenth of a second at a time.  If he missed, his 350 lb. coach Bill Bachrach would say "rest a few minutes, Johnny, and we'll swim again."  Bachrach would promise his protégé a dinner if he broke the record and Johnny always seemed to be hungry.  Many a world mark was set with only a couple of visiting coaches or a few guests of the Illinois Athletic Club to watch.

Every old-timer in swimming has a favorite Johnny Weissmuller story.  To them all, he was the world's greatest swimmer, yet ironically the producer who signed him to play Tarzan didn't know Johnny could swim. "Many think I turned pro to go into the movies," Johnny says, "but this is not true.  I was working for a bathing suit company for $500 a week for five years, which was not bad money then (or now).  I was in Los Angeles and they asked me if I would like to screen test for Tarzan.  I told them 'no thanks' but they said I could go to the MGM lot and meet Greta Garbo and have lunch with Clark Gable.  Any kid would want to do that so I said 'okay'.  I had to climb a tree and then run past the camera carrying a girl.  There were 150 actors trying for the part, so after lunch, I took off for Oregon on my next stop for the swim suit outfit.  Somebody called me on the phone and said 'Johnny, you got it.'  'Got what?' 'You're Tarzan.'  'What happened to those other 150 guys?'  'They picked you.'"

"So the producer asked me my name and he said it would never go.  'We'll have to shorten it,' he said.  'Weissmuller is to long.  It will never go on a marquee.'  The director butted in. 'Don't you ever read the papers?' he asked the producer. 'This guy is the world's greatest swimmer.'  The producer said he only read the trade papers, but okay, I could keep my name and he told the writers, 'put a lot of swimming in the movie, because this guy can swim.'"

"So you see why I owe everything to swimming," Weissmuller says.  "It not only made my name, it saved my name.  Without swimming, I'd be a nobody.  Who ever heard of Jon Weis, marquee or no marquee."

Besides swimming, Johnny Weissmuller played on two U.S. Olympic water polo teams.  "Water polo's a rough game," Johnny says.  "We never could beat those Yugoslavians.  They never blow a whistle over there.  Anyhow, that's where I learned to duck.  It came in handy when Cheetah started throwing coconuts."

More Great Tips from ISHOF Honoree Gary Hall, Sr. and the Race Club

Click Here: https://theraceclub.com/aqua_note/hip-driven-freestyle-technique/