The Class of 2027 features Olympic champions, world champions and trailblazers across swimming, open water swimming, high diving, water polo, artistic swimming and Para swimming. It also includes a landmark first, with Colombian high diving legend Orlando Duque becoming the first high diver to be inducted.

The Honorees are:

Swimmers

• Allison Schmitt (USA)
• Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP)
• Pernille Blume (DEN)
• Kosuke Hagino (JPN)
• Federica Pellegrini (ITA)

Open Water Swimmer: Thomas Lurz (GER)

High Diver: Orlando Duque (COL)

Water Polo: Debbie Handley (AUS)

Artistic Swimmer: Svetlana Romashina (RUS)

Coach: Jack Bauerle (USA)

Pioneer: Paul Beulque (FRA)

Paralympic Swimmer: Daniel Dias (BRA)

Federica Pellegrini was selected in 2025 but was unable to attend her induction and will be officially inducted in 2027.

Honor Swimmers

Allison Schmitt (USA)

American Allison Schmitt is a four-time Olympian and 10-time Olympic medallist, with four gold, three silver and three bronze medals. A specialist in freestyle, Schmitt also won 25 medals in major World Aquatics international competitions, including 13 gold. Away from competition, Schmitt has become a strong advocate for mental health awareness, using her platform to encourage people to seek help and speak openly about mental health.

Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP)

Many consider three-time Olympian Mireia Belmonte Garcia as the greatest Spanish swimmer of all time. She competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games and won four Olympic medals. At Rio 2016, Belmonte won gold in the 200m butterfly and bronze in the 200m individual medley. Four years earlier in London, she won silver in both the 800m freestyle and 200m butterfly. Her international career also includes eight individual World Championship titles across freestyle, butterfly and individual medley. In total, she won 92 medals in World Aquatics competitions.

Pernille Blume (DEN)

Pernille Blume made history at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games when she won gold in the 50m freestyle in 24.07 seconds. Her victory was Denmark's first Olympic swimming gold medal in 68 years. Blume also won bronze in the 4x100m medley relay in Rio and another bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Games. A three-time Olympian, Blume retired from competitive swimming in 2022. In 2024, she was appointed to the World Aquatics Bureau, continuing her involvement and commitment to the sport.

Kosuke Hagino (JPN)

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino was one of the most versatile swimmers of his generation. A two-time Olympian, he won four medals at the Games. His greatest Olympic success came at Rio 2016, where he won gold in the 400m individual medley and silver in the 200m individual medley. At London 2012, he added bronze medals in the 400m individual medley and 4x200m freestyle relay. Hagino won 26 medals in international competition and became only the second Asian swimmer to be named World Swimmer of the Year, receiving this honour in 2014.

Honor Open Water Swimmer

Thomas Lurz (GER)

German open water swimmer Thomas Lurz enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in the sport. A three-time Olympian, Lurz won bronze in the 10km at Beijing 2008 and silver in the same event at London 2012. Lurz is a 15-time World Champion across the 5km, 10km and 25km events and a three-time European champion in the men’s 10km. Lurz was previously inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2019 and was named Swimming World Open Water of the Year five times.

Honor Diver

Orlando Duque (COL)

Colombian high-diving legend Orlando Duque will make history as the first high diver induced into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Known as “The Duke”, Duque won 13 world titles, including becoming the inaugural World Aquatics High Diving World champion in 2013, two High Diving World Cup titles and nine Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series titles. His spectacular career has made him one of the most recognisable figures in both high and cliff diving. He was also featured in the film 9 Dives, which includes his 34-metre jump from a bridge in Italy. Duque currently serves as Chairman of the World Aquatics High Diving Technical Committee.

Honor Water Polo Player

Debbie Handley (AUS)

Australian Debbie Handley was a trailblazer for women’s water polo. Selected for Australia’s first women’s international team in 1976, Handley went on to earn 93 caps during a 13-year international career. She captained Australia for 69 games and competed at six World Aquatics Women’s World Cup tournaments. Handley helped Australia win silver at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships, when women’s water polo was still a demonstration sport, before claiming gold at the first official World Championships in 1986. She was also awarded Australian Water Polo’s highest honour, the Harry Quittner Medal.

Honor Artistic Swimmer

Svetlana Romashina (RUS)

Svetlana Romashina became the most decorated artistic swimmer in history, culminating in her seventh Olympic Gold medal in Tokyo 2020. She won team gold at four consecutive Olympic Games from 2008 through 2020 and claimed the Olympic duet title in 2012, 2016 and 2020. Her international record is also extremely impressive. In World Aquatics competition, Romashina won 42 gold and three silver medals, never finishing lower than second.

Honor Coach

Jack Bauerle (USA)

American coach Jack Bauerle spent 43 seasons leading the University of Georgia swimming and diving programme. Bauerle developed generations of national champions, Olympians and NCAA record-holders, establishing a lasting legacy in collegiate swimming. He has also coached Team USA at six Olympic Games and served as head coach of the American women’s team at Beijing 2008. Under his leadership, the US women won 14 medals, the most of any nation at those Games.

Honor Pioneer

Paul Beulque (FRA)

Paul Beulque was a pioneering French swimming and water polo coach whose influence extended far beyond France’s Olympic victory in 1924. His integrated system linking municipal education, standardised swimming instruction, scientific coaching, and long-term athlete development. His approach helped produce generations of successful athletes and members of France’s 1924 Olympic water polo team. Through his work, Beulque became one of the early architects of the modern athlete-development system and a pivotal figure in the evolution of 20^th century swimming and water polo.

Honor Paralympic Swimmer

Daniel Dias (BRA)

Brazilian Para swimming great Daniel Dias is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Paralympic sport. A four-time Paralympian, Dias competed at the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Games, winning 27 medals, including 14 gold. After the Tokyo Paralympics, he equaled Swedish shooter Jonas Jacobsson as the greatest male multi-medallist of all time. Across his international career, he has won 100 medals, with 78 gold, 14 silver and eight bronzes. His achievements include 40 World Para Swimming Championship medals and 33 gold medals at the Parapan American Games. Dias became Brazil’s and South America’s most decorated Paralympian, leaving a lasting legacy in the pool and across the Paralympic movement.

Celebrating 2025 Honoree:

Honor Swimmer

Federica Pellegrini (ITA)

Italian swimming icon Federica Pellegrini will officially join the Hall of Fame Class of 2027. Awarded in 2025, Pellegrini was unable to attend her induction. Pellegrini is one of the greatest swimmers in Italian history and a five-time Olympian, competing at the Games from 2004 to 2020. She won Olympic gold in the 200m freestyle at Beijing 2008 and silver in the same event at Athens 2004. Pellegrini won 11 World Championships medals, including six gold. She also set multiple World Records in the 200m freestyle and the 400m, making her the first woman to break the four-minute barrier in the latter event.