The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) has announced 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 countries will be inducted into ISHOF during the 61st Annual Induction Ceremonies, held May 16, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, the home of the Hall of Fame.

The 2026 Class spans every major aquatic discipline. Honorees include: 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 celebrate remarkable achievements in water sports.

Honor Swimmers: Medal Dominance, Global Influence, and Historic Performances

Nathan Adrian (USA) is a three-time Olympian and five-time Olympic gold medalist who specialises in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events. He has won 32 medals in major international competitions—gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze—across the Olympic Games, World Aquatics Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. Adrian began his swimming career in Bremerton, Washington, then attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he was an 11-time NCAA champion under coach Dave Durden.

László Cseh (HUN) is a five-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medalist, recognised for being competitive in every stroke and nearly every event in world aquatic competitions. He has won 74 medals in international competition—38 gold, 19 silver, and 17 bronze—spanning the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, and the World Universiade Games.

Notably, the peak of Cseh's career coincided with American Michael Phelps' dominance. At the Rio 2016 Games, Cseh tied Phelps and South Africa's Chad le Clos for silver in 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 said when announcing his retirement following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In addition to being a 33-time European Champion, Cseh has set five World Records, in the IM, his signature event.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) is a triple Olympic champion, winning gold in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games and silver in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay at London 2012. She set most of her World Records in the short course (SCM) 50m freestyle and on various Dutch relays. Over her career, Kromowidjojo has won 178 medals at World Aquatics competitions: 70 gold, 62 silver, and 46 bronze, spanning both World Championships and other major international meets.

Honor Open Water Swimmer: The First Man to Conquer Both Olympic and World 10km Titles

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

Honor Diver: Five-Time Olympian and Europe’s Springboard Queen

Tania Cagnotto (ITA) competed in five Olympic Games, eight World Championships, eight World Cups, 31 World Series, and 54 FINA Diving Grand Prix events. Over her 17-year career, she improved year by year from 1999 onward. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, she won a silver medal and a bronze medal in the springboard events. Her 3m synchronised team perfected their style and execution to become the best in Europe, capturing eight synchro 3-meter gold medals with teammate Francesca Dallapè, and achieving second in the world only to the Chinese teams.

Honor Water Polo Player: Center Forward Who Made History in Sydney 2000

Simone Fountain (AUS) extended her career and participated in the inaugural women’s Olympic Games for water polo in Sydney, winning gold, and was regarded as one of the pre-eminent center forwards of her era. Her assist to Yvette Higgins in Sydney 2000, leading to Higgins scoring the winning goal 1.3 seconds from time against the United States (4-3), remains a notable moment in Australian sports history. This marked the first time women competed in an Olympic water polo tournament.

Honor Artistic Swimmer: Pioneering Olympic Gold and Unbeaten Team Legacy

Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA) represents a masterclass in sustained team excellence. She was a vital member of the team that won the first Olympic gold medal in the artistic swimming team event. After the Atlanta Games, most of the American team stayed together and were undefeated in international team competition. Prior to 1996, Heather and Team USA won 7 gold medals at major international competitions, including the Olympics, World Aquatics Championships, and World Cups. Heather began and ended her 18-year artistic swimming career under Chris Carver and the Santa Clara Aquamaids. Her USA team golds also included the Pan American Games, French Open, Swiss Open, and the Pan Pacs. With the Aquamaids, Heather also won four USA National Team championships, as the team event at the French and Mallorca Opens.

Honor Masters Swimmer: Record-Breaking Champion Across Five Decades

Richard Burns (USA) will be the first Masters Swimmer to be inducted into ISHOF in ten years. He has competed in 11 age groups, from 30-34 through 80-84, and is currently active. As of December 2024, he holds 97 World Records, with his individual achievements highlighting his prominence in the sport. Burns has competed in six World Aquatics Masters World Championships, earning 13 gold, eight silver, and two bronze medals in individual events, totaling 23 individual World Championship medals. He was inducted into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010, at which point he had already achieved 37 Masters World Records. His record total of 97 further marks his impact on the sport.                                                                                                       

Honor Coach: Guiding Olympic Champions and Shaping Generations of Divers

Jane Figueiredo (ZIM/RUS/GBR) was most recently 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 announced her coaching retirement, a beaming Team GB diver and Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley said, "Look what we did, look what we did!" in a personal ‘thank you’ video message for his long-time coach. Daley, who often highlights Jane's unwavering support 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 more 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 competition, her divers have won 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.

Honor Contributor: Architect of Marathon Swimming’s Olympic Legacy and Driving the Sport's Global Growth

Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA) has made significant contributions to open water swimming. He has served in various roles, including athlete, coach, and race director. Cassidy's greatest influence is as chairman of the World Aquatics Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, where he oversaw the World Aquatics 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the Open Water Swimming Grand Prix series, and the World Open Water Swimming Championships. During his leadership, marathon swimming was added to the Olympic program at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games. He was the starter at the first Olympic 10 km Marathon Swim at Beijing 2008 and has helped standardise and professionalise marathon swim judging and staging globally.

Honor Paralympian: 25 Medals, 20 Gold, and a Career of Unstoppable Excellence

Beatrice Hess (FRA) is a five-time Paralympian who has won 25 medals, 20 of them gold. She has cerebral palsy and competed in the S5 disability classification. She also has 7 World titles and 18 European titles, making her the most decorated French Paralympic swimmer. Hess shot to stardom on her Paralympic debut at the New York 1984 Paralympic Games, earning four gold medals in as many events. From there, she was unstoppable, topping the podium 16 more times before closing the curtain on her career after Athens 2004. Hess was the flagbearer at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Continuing Last Year’s Legacy: Celebrating Ryan Lochte and Coach Gregg Troy

Continuing last year's legacy of excellence, ISHOF will be officially inducting two Honorees from last year’s class of 2025 who were not able to join 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 decorated swimmer in Olympic history, measured by total number of medals, behind only Team USA teammates Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Lochte’s seven individual Olympic medals rank second in history in men’s swimming, tied for second among all Olympic swimmers. Last month, Lochte announced he would 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, including Ryan Lochte, Caleb Dressel, and Elizabeth Beisel, to name just a few. Troy was the Head Coach of the Bolles School (1977-1997) and the University of Florida Gators (1998-2018), winning the Women’s NCAAs in 2010.

Troy’s coaching strategies, from emphasising that technique should be a focus at all points in the season to embracing the mentality of “Just When You Thought You’ve Finished Grinding, You GRIND More,” continue to influence the training regimens of aspiring coaches worldwide, ensuring that his legacy endures as a catalyst for future successes in competitive swimming.