Two Chinese among 13 aquatic notables were inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Santa Clara, California.
The ISHOF induction ceremony was likened as the "Oscars" of the Aquatic/Swimming World. The Class of 2015, representing nine different nations, reflects the increasing international diversity seen in elite swimming today.
"Their enshrinement will inspire everyone to swim," Bruce Wigo, President of the ISHOF told Xinhua.
Liang Boxi, who was the first national diving champion and first national team coach for China, entered this year's honoree in the Pioneer category. 2004 Olympic diving champion Lao Lishi were also enshrined in the ISHOF as an Honor Diver.
"The success of the Chinese in diving in the Olympic Games since 1984 has been staggering," Wigo said. "And we are often asked how China came to dominate this sport. Invariably, the answer is because of Boxi Liang."
When the first Chinese national diving championships were held in 1955 and 1956, Liang was the winner on both the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform and he won consistently on both until 1965. Later as the first coach of the Chinese national team, he coached Chen Xiaoxia to China's first gold medal at a major international competition in 1979, at the World University Games, since the Games of Emerging Forces, held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1963.
At China's first appearance at a FINA World Cup, in Mexico City, in 1981, Chen Xiaoxia won the women's gold medal and Li Hongping won the men's title in the 10 meter platform events. Boxi coached both athletes to their titles.
Lao Lishi, born on December 12, 1987 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, represented China at the 2004 Summer Olympics, earning a silver medal in the 10-meter women's platform and a gold medal in women's 10-meter synchronized platform along with Li Ting. An entrepreneur today, she recently rang the bell at the NY Stock Exchange for the firm Alibaba when it went public.
The other honorees includes swimmers Enith Brigitha (NED), Jodie Henry (AUS) and Diana Macanu (ROM); synchronized swimmer Anastaysia Ermakova (RUS); water polo player/coach Ivo Trumbic; open water swimmer Irence Van Der Laan (NED); coaches James Gaughran (USA), Don Watson (USA) and Masako Kaneko (JPN); contributor Bartolo Consolo (ITA); and Masters Swimmer Karlyn Pipes (USA).
"Because we believe young women athletes need role models to look up to, not only for their athletic careers, but for their their post athlete careers, we are ecstatic that Anne has agreed to accept this honor from the International Swimming Hall of Fame," Donna de Varona, ISHOF's Chairwoman of the Board says in a statement.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame & Museum was established in 1965 as a non-profit educational organization in the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was recognized by FINA, the international governing body for the Olympic aquatic sports, in 1968. Earlier this year, ISHOF announced it will be moving to Santa Clara, California.
