WATCH: Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin Get Inducted Into USOPC Hall of Fame

Swimming legends Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin were among eight individuals inducted into the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame on Friday as members of the Class of 2022.

The class also featured 55-time Paralympic swimming medalist Trischa Zorn-Hudson, who competed in seven Paralympic Games from 1980 to 2004.

The class featured a total of eight individuals, two teams, two legends, one coach and one special contributor.

One of the teams was the 1976 women’s 400 freestyle relay that was comprised of Kim PeytonJill SterkelShirley Babashoff and Wendy Boglioli. The quartet broke the world record and upset the East German that had won back-to-back world titles in 1973 and 1975.

Class of 2022 Inductees:

  • Natalie Coughlin (swimming)
  • Muffy Davis (Para alpine skiing and Para-cycling)
  • Mia Hamm (soccer)
  • David Kiley (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field, and wheelchair basketball)
  • Michelle Kwan (figure skating)
  • Michael Phelps (swimming)
  • Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing)
  • Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Para swimming)
  • The 1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay Swimming Team
  • The 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team
  • Gretchen Fraser (legend: alpine skiing)
  • Roger Kingdom (legend: track and field)
  • Pat Summitt (coach: basketball)
  • Billie Jean King (special contributor)

Phelps is the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, owning a career total of 26 medals, 23 of them being gold.

Coughlin owns 12 career Olympic medals, including back-to-back individual golds in the women’s 100 backstroke in 2004 and 2008. She also won gold on the U.S. women’s 800 free relay in Athens.

Below, find some images from the event, along with the induction speeches:

MICHAEL PHELPS

NATALIE COUGHLIN

TRISCHA ZORN-HUDSON

1976 WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY

OTHER INDUCTION SPEECHES

Roger Kingdom

Muffy Davis

Mia Hamm

David Kiley

Michelle Kwan

Lindsey Vonn

Gretchen Fraser (Jeff Fraser on her behalf)

2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team

Billie Jean King

In This Story

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#AthleteLivesMatter
2 years ago

Congrats Phelps, Coughlin, and the ’76 relay. You are all American heroes! Thank you!

#AthleteLivesMatter

Marklewis
2 years ago

As Shirley points out, it was in women’s swimming where the onslaught of steroid cheating pretty much wrecked the whole competition.

The East German won all the races except for the 200 breast and that relay.

Jean Marie
2 years ago

What a beautiful family Michael has.

Hank
2 years ago

What took so long? This is the GOAT 🐐

CJD
2 years ago

Headscratcher quote from L. Vonn at about 1:00 in: “ln my later years of my career, I was literally just trying to keep count of my gold medals. It’s a hard job, so many.” 

Maybe she was joking or was talking about World Cup wins, but it’s a USOPC HOF ceremony and she has exactly one Olympic gold medal. Don’t think she was joking…but if she was, it fell very very flat or was arrogant, especially considering her audience.

Penguin
Reply to  CJD
2 years ago

…Michael’s medals?

Gary
2 years ago

Phelps, Coughlin, Vonn, Hamm could use some mentoring/coaching regarding public speaking.

Penguin
Reply to  Gary
2 years ago

Look at Phelps now versus the 2000s. Hell look at him now compared to 2015. He’s not a stage performer, speaker, or a stellar interviewee. He never will be. He did a good job.

SuperSwimmer 2000
Reply to  Gary
2 years ago

“It’s not the critic who counts counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall… Read more »

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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