Middle Distance Guru Dick Jochums Chosen For ISHOF Class of 2017

Coach Dick Jochums is the latest member of the 17-person class of 2017 for the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Jochums is best known as one of the top middle distance coaches in the United States in the 1970s and 80s. As the head coach of the Long Beach Swim Club and Long Beach State, as well as an assistant at Washington and Cal, he put at least one swimmer on every major U.S. international team from 1973 to 1988. That includes two Hall of Fame swimmers – Tim Shaw and Bruce Furniss. Shaw at one point held the World Record in the 200, 400, 800, and 1500 free simultaneously, and won 3 gold medals at the 1975 World Championships.

In total, his swimmers are responsible for 25 World Records and 12 Olympic medals.

Jochum is the 7th member of the class to be announced, which is being released over several days.

Other announced members so far:

• Walter Poenisch (USA) – long distance swimmer
• Wu Chuanyu (CHN) – pioneer
• Zhang Xiunei (CHN) – pioneer
• Heinz Kluetmeier – photographer
• Takashi “Halo” Hirose – pool swimmer
• Osvaldo Horacio Codaro – water polo

Full Press Release from the ISHOF:

FORT LAUDERDALE – The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) announced today that Dick Jochums, will become one of seventeen (17) honorees to enter the International Swimming Hall of Fame as the Class of 2017. Jochums is the seventh individual to be named for ceremonies to be held August 25-27, in Fort Lauderdale. Previously, photo-journalist/contributor Heinz Kluetmeier, and five “Pioneers” have been announced, including:  swimmers Wu Chuanyu (CHN), Takashi “Halo” Hirose (USA);  diver Zhang Xiuwei (CHN), long distance swimmer Walter Poenisch (USA) and water polo player Osvaldo Codaro (ARG).  Jochums will enter the ISHOF as an Honor Coach.

“Finally!,” says Don Gambril, the legendary Olympic coach who selected Jochums to succeed him at the Long Beach Swim Club. “I can’t believe it has taken so long for him to get in. He is one of the great ones.”

Dick Jochums coached at every level during his career: at swim schools, at colleges and with USS Clubs. He held assistant coaching positions at the University of Washington, the University of California at Berkeley and held his first head coaching position at Cal-State Hayward. Dick moved from Hayward to Long Beach State, while also coaching the Long Beach Swim Club, and then on to the University of Arizona in 1978. In his 20-year career in collegiate swimming, his teams had 12 top ten finishes. In 1995, he moved Santa Clara and returned the famed Santa Clara Swim Club’s men’s team to the title of national champions in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He retired from full-time coaching in 2007.

In the era of American male swimming dominance, Dick Jochums became the USA’s middle distance guru and placed swimmers on every major USA international team from 1973 through 1988.  He was assistant or head coach of 8 major USA National Teams. Among his swimmers are two Hall of Famers: Tim Shaw and Bruce Furniss.  At one time, Shaw simultaneously held the world record in the 200m, 400, 800m and 1500m freestyle. At the 1975 World Championships, Shaw won 3 gold medals, for which he received the coveted the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete.  At the same meet, his other swimmers, Greg Jagenburg won 2 gold medals and Steve Furniss one. Seven Jochums-coached swimmers swam in the 1976 Olympic Games:  Bruce Furniss, Tim Shaw, Dan Harrigan, Steve Greg and Jack Babashoff, winning a combined two gold, three silver and one bronze medal. At the 1978 World Championships, Bob Jackson won 2 gold medals, Jagenburg and Steve Gregg each won silver and Bruce Furniss one relay gold. In 1980, Bob Jackson had the fastest time in the world in the 100m backstroke and did not get to swim in the Olympic Games because of the US led boycott.  In 1984 George Di Carlo won gold in the 400m freestyle and silver in the 1500m, while breaststroke Peter Evans won double bronze medals swimming for Australia. In 2000, in 2000, he coached Tom Wilkens to a bronze medal in 200 IM.  His teams won 8 USA National Long Course Championships and one combined (men’s and women’s) National Title. In 1975, his Long Beach Swim Club team of Rex Favero, Bruce Furniss, Tim Shaw and Steve Furniss set the world record in the 4 x 200 freestyle relay.  It was the last club team to set a world relay record.

About ISHOF

The International Hall of Fame, established in 1965, is a not-for-profit educational organization located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Its mission is to promote the benefits and importance of swimming as a key to fitness, good health, quality of life, and the water safety of all adults and children.  It accomplishes this through operation of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a dynamic shrine dedicated to preserving the history of swimming, the memory and recognition of the famous swimmers, divers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers and people involved in life saving activities and education whose lives and accomplishments inspire, educate, and provide role models for people around the world. For more information contact Bruce Wigo at 954-462-6536 ext. 201, or by email [email protected]