The information on this page was written the year of their induction.

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS (SWIMMER): World Points – 650, Pre-1986 Points-64. Total Points: 714. Since 1978, he has competed in 6 age groups (60-64) thru 85-89); 21 FINA MASTERS WORLD RECORDS.

Paul Krup swam in high school and for two years in the late 1930’s at Ohio State University. He cites his older brother, Pete as his inspiration. “My brother was a terrific swimmer”, he says. Brother Pete, an army private, died in June 1944 during the Normandy invasion. It wasn’t until April 10, 1945 that Paul Krup realized how important swimming really can be. As a sergeant in the Army Air Corps, Krup was in a B-17 that was shot down over Germany. He ejected, hit the ground, where an angry group of townspeople headed his way;! Had he not jumped in a nearby brook and swam away, who knows what would have become of him.

Paul came back to swimming with USMS in 1978, mainly as a butterfly and breaststroke swimmer. He appeared on the Top 10 list for 27 years from 1978 through 2005. Krup of Cleveland, Ohio, set 21 FINA Masters World Records in the breaststroke and butterfly from 1986 to 1997 – four in long course and 17 short course. Beginning with World Rankings in 1986, he has 36, number 1, 30, number 2 and 25, number 3 in short course meters and four, number 1, 32, number 2 and 19 number 3 in long course meters for a total of 40, number 1, 62 number 2 and 44 number 3 world rankings. Krup competed in the 1992 World Championships in Indianapolis winning two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

He epitomized the thoughts of many Masters swimmers. Krup was quoted in an article for Sports Illustrated Magazine in the September 16, 2002 issue: “I got up this morning and just felt lousy. My back hurt, my leg hurt, I didn’t have an appetite. Then at one o’clock I went to the outdoor pool. I put on a bathing cap

and swam a little over a mile, using all strokes. I came out feeling like a million bucks. It’s like that every day. I feel lousy all day until I get in the water and swim.”

Paul passed away in 2010, at the age of 92. He is rememberered fondly by many of his teammates at the Mellen Pool of Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio and members of the Ohio Masters team.