This year, 12 honorees from seven countries will join the prestigious ranks of the Hall of Fame. The inductees include three individual swimmers, a relay team, a coach, two divers, two water polo players, an artistic swimmer, a contributor, and the ISHOF Gold Medallion Award recipient.

Class of 2024 Inductees:

Honour Swimmers: Lars Frölander (SWE), Daniel Gyurta (HUN), Dana Vollmer (USA), and the 1976 U.S. Women’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay Team (Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton*, and Jill Sterkel)

Honour Divers: Alexandre Despatie (CAN), Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)

Honour Artistic Swimmer: Virginie Dedieu (FRA)

Honour Water Polo Players: Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA), Vladimir Akimov* (USSR)

Honour Coach: Dennis “Denny” Pursley (USA)

Honour Contributor: Dale Neuburger (USA)

2024 ISHOF Gold Medallion Award: Alex Blavatnik (URS/USA)

(*Deceased)

Meet the Inductees:

Lars Frölander (SWE)

A six-time Olympian and one of Sweden's most celebrated swimmers, Lars Frölander competed in every Olympic Games from 1992 to 2012. His crowning achievement came in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he won gold in the 100m butterfly. Frölander’s illustrious career includes nine World Championship titles and 12 European titles across freestyle and butterfly events.

Daniel Gyurta (HUN)

Hungarian breaststroke specialist Daniel Gyurta made his mark with four Olympic appearances and a gold medal in the 200-meter event. A five-time World Champion and eight-time European Champion, Gyurta also broke the world record three times in his signature event, solidifying his legacy in swimming.

Dana Vollmer (USA)

Dana Vollmer, a three-time Olympian, earned five Olympic gold medals and set six world records during her career. Her 2012 performance at the London Olympics, where she won gold and set a world record in the 100m butterfly, was a standout. Vollmer continued to impress, winning medals at the 2016 Rio Games just 17 months after giving birth.

1976 U.S. Women’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay Team

In a historic upset, the U.S. relay team—composed of Shirley Babashoff, Wendy Boglioli, Kim Peyton, and Jill Sterkel—triumphed over the heavily favoured East German team in the final race of the 1976 Olympic Games.

Alexandre Despatie (CAN)

Canadian diver Alexander Despatie is the only diver in history to have won World Championship titles in the 1m, 3m, and 10m events. A three-time Olympian and 37-time Canadian champion, Despatie’s remarkable career includes two Olympic silver medals and eight World Championship podium finishes.

Yulia Pakhalina (RUS)

Yuliya Pakhalina, a three-time Olympian from Russia, dominated the 3-meter springboard competition in synchronized and individual events. She won five Olympic medals, including gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, and claimed multiple World and European Championship titles.

Carmela “Lilli” Allucci (ITA)

Italian water polo legend Carmela Allucci captained her team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Her decorated career includes two World Championship titles and four European titles. Allucci is one of the most successful female water polo players in European history.

Vladimir Akimov (USSR)

Vladimir Akimov, a key player on the USSR water polo team, won gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and helped secure World Championship and European Championship medals for his team. Akimov tragically passed away in 1987, but his legacy as one of the best defenders of his era endures.

Virginie Dedieu (FRA)

France’s Virginie Dedieu is a three-time World Champion in artistic swimming, known for her exceptional grace and technical skill. Dedieu’s achievements are unmatched, as she remains the only solo world champion from a non-powerhouse nation in artistic swimming.

Dennis “Denny” Pursley (USA)

Dennis Pursley’s coaching career spans the globe, having led Olympic teams in five different Games. As the first Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport and later the National Team Director for USA Swimming, Pursley guided teams to historic successes, including the U.S. team’s dominant performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Dale Neuburger (USA)

Dale Neuburger’s contributions to aquatic sports as a leader and administrator are unparalleled. As a former FINA Vice President and long-time advocate for global aquatic development, Neuburger has played a pivotal role in shaping international swimming.

Alex Blavatnik (URS/USA)

The ISHOF Gold Medallion Award for 2024 goes to Alex Blavatnik, whose philanthropic efforts have supported the growth and sustainability of aquatic sports worldwide.

For more on each honoree’s remarkable career, visit the ISHOF website.