Former Nebraska swimmer Trischa Zorn-Hudson has earned induction into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2022, as announced by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The class of 2022 is comprised of eight individuals, two teams, two legends, one coach and one special contributor who will be inducted tonight (June 24) during a ceremony at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
Zorn-Hudson, a paralympic swimmer who has won more Olympic medals than any other athlete in history, is joined by 2022 inductees Natalie Coughlin (University of California, Berkeley/swimming), Muffy Davis (Para alpine skiing and Para-cycling), Mia Hamm (University of North Carolina/soccer), David Kiley (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field, and wheelchair basketball), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Michael Phelps (swimming), Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), the 1976 Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay Swimming Team, the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, Gretchen Fraser (University of Puget Sound/alpine skiing), Roger Kingdom (University of Pittsburgh/track and field), Pat Summitt (University of Tennessee/basketball coach) and Billie Jean King (special contributor).
The class of 2022 has represented the United States as athletes at a combined 27 Olympic and Paralympic Games, tallying 129 medals, including 86 golds. It is the 17th class inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, bringing the total to 168 inductees (individuals and teams).
Zorn-Hudson, who represented the United State in seven Paralympic Games (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004), is the most decorated Paralympic athlete of all time. She captured 55 Paralympic medals, including 41 gold, nine silver and five bronze, during her incredible career that spanned more than two decades. Over a 12-year span (1980-92), Zorn-Hudson was unbeaten in every Paralympic race in which she competed, taking gold in 25 races. At the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Zorn-Hudson captured 10 gold medals and a pair of silvers. At the 1988 Paralympics Games in Seoul, she won 10 gold medals in 10 events and set 10 world records. She was inducted into the International Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2012.
Blind from birth, Zorn-Hudson was a four-year letter winner at Nebraska from 1984 through 1987. She is credited with being the first physically disabled athlete to earn a full NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. During her time at Nebraska, Zorn-Hudson was a member of three Husker women’s swimming and diving teams that captured Big Eight Conference titles (1985, 1986, 1987). During her sophomore season in 1985, the Huskers finished ninth as a team at the 1985 NCAA Championships.
Zorn-Hudson recently returned to Lincoln to address all of Nebraska’s student-athletes and staff during its annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit in February of 2022.
National Governing Bodies, alumni, current athletes and additional members of the Olympic and Paralympic community were invited to nominate eligible athletes. From there, a nominating committee comprised of individuals from the Olympic and Paralympic movements narrowed it down to a set of finalists. The class of 2022 was determined by a voting process that included Olympians and Paralympians, members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family, and an online vote open to fans; more than 432,000 votes were cast across all platforms.
More information about the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, including a comprehensive list of inductees, can be found online at TeamUSA.org/Hall-Of-Fame.
About the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America’s premier athletes in the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during a ceremony in Chicago and included Team USA greats such as Muhammad Ali, Bob Beamon, Peggy Fleming, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, Jim Thorpe and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” men’s hockey team.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login