Peter Vanderkaay, who won three state swimming titles at Rochester Adams High School before becoming a four-time Olympic medalist, will be inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.

The Hall announced the class on Wednesday, July 29, according to the Detroit Free Press. Vanderkaay, 42, grew up in Oakland Township and began swimming at age seven at the Rochester Hills Tennis and Swim Club with his older brother Christian. He trained with the Oakland Live Y'ers Club under coach Jeff Cooper while competing for the Highlanders.

His prep career at Adams was dominant. Vanderkaay won the 500-yard freestyle state title in 2001 and 2002, then added the 200-yard freestyle championship as a senior in 2002. He earned four varsity letters, served as team captain, was a two-time MVP, and by his senior year ranked first in the nation in the 200-yard freestyle. He also won the 2002 National Public School championship in the 500-yard freestyle and was named the Oakland Press Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduating with a 3.7 GPA.

Vanderkaay went on to the University of Michigan, where he won five NCAA championships and 14 Big Ten titles under Hall of Fame coach Jon Urbanchek. He was a three-time Big Ten Swimmer of the Year.

On the international stage, Vanderkaay competed in three Olympic Games. At the 2004 Athens Games, he swam the third leg of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay alongside Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Klete Keller, winning gold as the U.S. team edged Australia by .13 seconds with a time of 7:07.33. In Beijing in 2008, the relay squad broke the seven-minute barrier for the first time, setting a world record of 6:58.56 for another gold. Vanderkaay also earned individual bronze in the 200-meter freestyle that year. At the 2012 London Games, he served as U.S. Olympic team captain and won bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.

He also won four World Championship golds in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay and was a 16-time national champion.

Scott Lesher, Michigan Sports Hall of Fame chairman, said in a statement that the class is filled with champions from varied levels and eras whose induction helps ensure Michigan fans remember what they accomplished.

Vanderkaay joins fellow 2026 inductees WNBA champion Swin Cash, Detroit Lions Pro Bowl center Kevin Glover, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II, Ferris State football coach Tony Annese, longtime Red Wings broadcaster Paul Woods, and late Tigers general manager Bill Lajoie. The class was selected by a statewide task force of journalists and sports executives, along with a public online vote, and ratified by the Hall's board of directors.

Since retiring from competition, Vanderkaay has worked as a real estate consultant and volunteers with the YMCA's Detroit SWIMS initiative, which aims to teach every child in Detroit to swim by fifth grade.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Sound Board Theater inside MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. Tickets start at $25 and are available at mshof.org.