Almost every swimmer in the world has a dream to find himself in Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center (Florida, USA)  to have a  training or to compete there even just for one day... The International Swimming Hall of Fame is the globe aquatic institution of the highest FINA interest. Since 1965, ISHOF has promoted swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming, water safety and swimming art by honoring the great achievements and events in aquatic history. The impressions on this Florida's swim paradise, I would like to share with all my  friends from Belgrade as well as with all others who are interested in this marvelous swim resort in the U.S.A.                                                                                                                                                         (I.Rasula. Dec.2005)

December 24, 2005 . Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - the World Swimming Mecca ... 2005 © Swim Star 2000 Agency, Belgrade

Over the years, the ISHOF complex, through its museum, library and swim pools have served as an inspiration for literally thousands of swimmers who have visited, trained or competed at this aquatic complex. It is located 200-m of the the coast of the Atlantic Ocean occupying over 7,500 square feet in the heart of the City of Fort Lauderdale (South Florida)... ISHOF is non-for-profit organization and the international show place for swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. Its unbelievable well settled Museum, Library and Archive contain the world's largest collection of aquatic memorabilia and the single largest source of aquatic books, manuscripts and literature. The next galleries and written information should help our visitors to introduce better this world swimming mecca as well as to learn something new about the world aquatic history...

Tokom dugih niza godina, ISHOF kompleks sa svim svojim sadrzajima - muzejom, bibliotekom, bazenima i dr., posluzio je kao literarna inspiracija hiljadama plivaca koji su ga posetili, na njemu trenirali ili se takmicili u okviru brojnih manifestacija. Nalazi se na oko 200 m neposredno uz obalski pojas Atlantika, a zauzima povrsinu od preko 7,500 kvadratnih stopa u srcu grada Fort Loderdejla (u juznoj Floridi)... ISHOF je neprofitna sportska organizacija i medjunarodni centar za promociju plivanja, skokova u vodu, vaterpola i umetnickog plivanja. Njegov neverovatno dobro uredjen muzej, biblioteka i arhiva sadrze najverdniju svetsku zbirku podataka i zapisa iz plivanja, rukopise i literaturu. Naredne  foto galerije i pisane informacije posluzice nasim posetiocima da bolje upoznaju ovu svetsku plivacku 'meku' i saznaju nesto vise o svetskoj plivackoj istoriji...

The part of Fort Lauderdale from the air...	Look to the marine from Tropi-Rock Resort...	Ft.Lauderdale at the post-card (by J.E.Clark)
The Lauderdale beach monument...	The author in front of ISHOF	The Catrine hurricane's consequences...

The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex is one of the main City Department of Business Enterprises facility, home to Fort Lauderdale Aquatics, the famous Jack Nelson Swim School, the Fort Lauderdale Dive Team, and the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Fort Lauderdale's competitive swimming heritage dates back to the grand opening of the Casino Pool on January 29, 1928. As the first pool of Olympic size (50m x 20m) in Florida, it remained at the forefront of the swimming scene for nearly 77 years and consequently witnessed a great deal of American swimming history. The Casino Pool (1928-1966) was home to the nation's top swimmers for decades, including Katherine Rawls, Fort Lauderdale's first celebrity of sport and international athletic ambassador. Since 1965, when the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex opened its doors, the complex has witnessed ten world records while serving as host to hundreds of national and international meets.

Fort Loderdejl 'vodeni' kompleks je jedan od najvaznijih gradskih poslovnih i rekreativnih sadrzaja. On je dom  Fort Loderdejl plivackog tima, cuvene plivacke skole Dzeka Nelsona, Fort Lauderdale tima za skokove u vodu, kao i sediste ISHOF-a. Takmicarsko plivanje u ovom centru datira od Januara 1928, kada je otvoren Casino bazen, prvi plivacki bazen u drzavi Florida - olimpijskih dimenzija (50 x 20 m) i do danas je ostao u vrhu 'plivacke scene' blizu 77 godina, kontinualno cineci deo istorije Americkog plivackog sporta. Casino bazen je bio u funkciji od 1928-1966 i predstavljao je bazu svim americkim reprezentativnim selekcijama, ukljucujuci i cuvenu Katarinu Rawls, prve pocasne sportistkinje istaknute u ISHOF muzeju i medjunarodnog sportskog ambasadora. Od 1965.god. kada Ft.Loderdejl plivacki centar otvara svoja vrata za brojne sportiste, bio je 'svedokom' obaranja vise od deset svetskih rekorada, ali isto tako i domacin stotinama drzavnih prvenstava i medjunarodnih takmicenja.

The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex

The main entrance of the ISHOF	A look to the main 50-m & diving pools	Ft.Lauderdale Aquatic Center by night...
A look to the 25-yd. pool (16 lanes)	Igor Rasula in his every-day training process	The world's paradise for Diving...

Over 40 exhibits and displays in the ISHOF Museum illustrate the history of aquatic sports by recognizing both the world's greatest swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming performers and the great moments in which they participated. The displays are designed not only to highlight the achievements of the great athletes but also to keep alive their memories. Johnny Weissmuller's Olympic medals are a part of the world's largest collection of aquatic Olympic medals, pins, badges, diplomas and certificates. Mark Spitz's starting block used to win six of his seven 1972 Olympic gold medals is on view as are over 60 Olympic, national and club uniforms, warm ups and swim suits. The first automatic timing machine to determine the results of close races can be seen along with the modern system used today. The visitor may play the role of both the starter and timer in a hands-on tribute to timing automation. There are tributes to American Presidents who were swimmers, including Ronald Reagan, who in addition to captaining his college swim team is credited with saving 77 lives as a lifeguard in his hometown of Dixon, Illinois. John F. Kennedy was on the first Harvard swim team to beat Yale... etc...etc... Find more at www.ishof.org

Preko 40 raznih postavki izlozeno je u ISHOF muzeju kao ilustracija istorije vodenih sportova pri cemu su podjednako istaknuti svi najvazniji vrhunski uspesi u plivanju, skokovima, umetnickom plivanju i vaterpolu kao i najznacajniji momenti u kojima su rekorderi uzeli ucesce... Postavke imaju za cilj ne da prikazu dostignuca najboljih sportista vec i da sacuvaju secanja na njih.. Dzoni Vajsmiler, osvajac Olimpijskih medalja ima posebno mesto i prezentaciju sa medaljama, fotografijama, znackama, diplomama i sertifikatima... Startni blok cuvenog Mark Spica sa koga je osvojio 6 zlatnih olimpijskih medalja 1972 god. je ovde prikazan, zajedno sa preko 60 olimpijskih nacionalnih i klupskih uniformi (trenerki)...Posebna pocast odata je i bivsim americkim predsednicima - plivacima Ronaldu Reganu i Dzonu Kenediju... Za nas je svakako interesantno da su na posebnom standu prikazi nosilaca ISHOF pocasti: pre svih Djurdja Bijedov, plivacka legenda bivse Jugoslavije (zastava ove zemlje se jos ne skida u redu pocasnih zastava istaknutih zemalja)... U delu prezentacije vaterpolo licnosti, na prezentaciji sam nasao sliku Zradva Kovacica-Cire (nagradjenog 1984), ali i podataka da su u ISHOF kuci slavnih usli legendarni vaterpolisti i olimpijci Mirko Sandic (1999) i Zoran Jankovic (2004)

The flag of ex-Yugoslavia is still here...	The stand on Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan)	Casino pool in Ft.Lauderdale in December 1941
Mark Spitz, 7 Olympic gold medals (1972)	Display about Yugoslavia...	The author in the ISHOF diving hall
The sport & swim wears of the many greatest and famous Olympic Champions	Djurdja Bijedov (ex-YU swim legend)- the first women swimmer from our region who reached 2 Olympic medals (in Mexico 1968)	The ISHOF arranged the main water polo moments (also with SCG stars)...

Igor Rasula and his team mates from OC Men's Swimming send the greetings to the world

If it can be allowed the author to say, the Ftort Lauderdale Center, and especially all its historical facilities, will stay forever in a swimmer's mind... This is why one might say - to be born, to be an active swimmer, to harvest the tone of medals, to go across  the world, but never to get a chance to swim in this paradise, even just for one day, can abridge the everyone's sport career... ------------------------------------ Despite the hard working in and out the pool at ISHOF center as well as some bad weather in the second part od December 2005, almost every swimmer of the Olivet College Swimming Team (Michigan) bring back the nice impressions from Florida... Sending the best wishes for the Christmas and a New Year to the swim people of Belgrade and Serbia, the part of Olivet College Men's Swimming has promised the highest places at the upcoming Conference MIAA Championships 2005 (mid February)... ..   Ako bi autoru ove prezentacije bilo dopusteno da kaze, Fort Loderdejl, a posebno ISHOF muzej plivackog sporta ce ostati vecno u pamcenju 'jednog plivaca'... Upravo to je i razlog da neko moze da kaze - "biti rodjen, biti aktivni plivac, osvojiti pregrst medalja, putovati po svetu, a ne biti u prilici da plivas u ovom svetskom plivackom raju, makar i samo jedan dan, zaista moze osakatiti svaku sportsku karijeru zanavek"... ------------------------------------ Uprkos veoma napornom svakodnevnom radu na pripremama u Fort Loderdejlu i relativno loseg vremena u drugoj polovini decembra, gotovo svi plivaci Olivet Koledza, nose zaista sjajne utiske... Svim mojim prijateljima u Beogradu i Srbiji, ali i sirom sveta zelim Sretne Bozicne i Novogodisnje praznike, uz pozdrav MIR BOZJI, HRISTOS SE RODI !!!!

(Igor Rasula, December 24, 2005)

Special thanks to Mr.J.F.Center, PNHS Coach for the assistance in transferring the gallery from Western Michigan University to Belgrade... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------