Olympic gold medallist Simone Fountain (nee Hankin) is set to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) on Saturday 16 May 2026.
Fountain is the sole Australian to join the illustrious group of 11 international athletes to be honoured in 2026. She had an incredible career in water polo in which she was regarded as the leading centre forward in the game.
A highlight of her career was the pivotal inclusion of women’s water polo at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where she won gold with the Australian team. Her assist to Yvette Higgins to score the winning goal is marked as an iconic moment in Australian sporting folklore.
Fountain played domestically for the Cronulla Sharks Water Polo Club where she became the club’s first Olympic gold medallist.
Following her playing career, she moved to Perth to be the head coach of women’s water polo for the WA Institute of Sport. Today, she continues to help grow and elevate the sport in regional areas of WA – a true advocate who lives out the values and goals of the Water Polo Australia’s Play Well 2032 Strategy in increasing participation of our game across the country.
The 61st Annual Honoree Induction Ceremony will be held in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA.
