The 2024 Paris Olympics have come and gone. Because the Olympic countdown resets for LA 2028, those that competed in Paris are headed in a mess of instructions. Some will take an prolonged break, whereas others will take shorter absences from the pool and return for both the World Cup or Quick Course Worlds. Then, there are these headed again stateside for the 2024-25 NCAA season.
Like the lads’s facet, 4 particular person Olympic medalists from Paris will compete within the NCAA this season. Nonetheless, just one swimmer is a world scholar versus Luke Hobson being the lone American on the lads’s facet.
Torri Huske, Stanford
- 2024 Olympics: Gold, 100 butterfly — 55.59, Silver, 100 freestyle — 52.29, Gold, ladies’s 4×100 medley relay — 3:49.63, Gold, blended 4×100 medley relay — 3:37.43, Silver, ladies’s 4×100 freestyle relay — 3:30.20
Torri Huske (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Torri Huske made essentially the most of her Olympic redshirt final season. She targeted on long-course all yr, culminating in her being essentially the most adorned American athlete on the 2024 Olympics. She upset world report holder Gretchen Walsh within the 100 butterfly, claiming her first particular person Olympic medal within the occasion the place she was 4th by one-hundredth in Tokyo.
Then, she broke via for a shock silver medal within the 100 freestyle, dropping a 52.29 and turning into the primary feminine American swimmer to medal within the 100 fly/100 free mixture since Dara Torres. Now the second quickest feminine 100 freestyler in American historical past, she gave the US loads of choices on their relays. Huske helped the U.S. set world data within the blended 4×100 medley and ladies’s 4×100 medleys and added a silver within the ladies’s 4×100 freestyle relay.
Again in a Stanford cap, Huske will electrify a staff that didn’t take as many steps backward final season as many have been anticipating them to with a younger roster that lacked the star energy of seasons previous. She’s going to energize the relays as she chases her first particular person NCAA title.
Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
- 2024 Olympics: Silver, 100 butterfly — 55.63, Gold, ladies’s 4×100 medley relay — 3:49.63, Gold, blended 4×100 medley relay — 3:37.43, Silver, ladies’s 4×100 freestyle relay — 3:30.20
Gretchen Walsh (photograph: Jack Spitser)
What a yr it’s been for Gretchen Walsh. Firstly of 2024, she dominated the NCAA postseason—from breaking 20 seconds on a flying begin to sweeping her occasions on the 2024 NCAA championships with three league data, she was the story within the 25-yard pool.
She discovered how you can carry that pace to long-course meters this summer time, opening the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials with a world report within the 100 butterfly. The subsequent evening, she certified for her first Olympic staff, later including the 50 and 100 freestyle to her schedule. In Paris, she set a 100 fly Olympic report within the semifinals earlier than accumulating silver within the last, going 1-2 with Huske. She teamed up with Huske on the 2 U.S. world record-setting relays and the ladies’s 4×100 freestyle.
Walsh returns to yards having dispatched the “bathtub-swimmer solely” allegations, however she is going to proceed to shine within the bathtub this season. Her underwaters set her other than the sphere and whichever occasions she focuses on this season can be on record-watch. She’s one in every of three 2024 Olympians returning to Virginia this season, together with Tokyo Olympian Claire Curzan.
Mona McSharry, Tennessee
- 2024 Olympics: Bronze, 100 breaststroke — 1:05.59
Mona McSharry (photograph: Jack Spitser)
Mona McSharry obtained a historic Video games began for Eire within the ladies’s 100 breaststroke. After qualifying second for the ultimate in an Irish report of 1:05.51, she was out quick within the last. She made the flip in second place, behind solely Tang Qianting. The sphere battled again throughout the last 50 meters and it got here right down to the contact for the ultimate two spots on the rostrum behind Tatjana Smith. The instances flashed onto the board—McSharry had held on for bronze by a hundredth forward of Benedetta Pilato and Lilly King with a 1:05.59. Her medal was Eire’s first Olympic swimming medal since 1996.
She now returns to Tennessee for her fifth season. Final yr, McSharry swept the 100 and 200-yard breaststrokes on the SEC Championships and was second in each on the NCAA Championships just a few weeks later. She’s the SEC report holder within the former, with a 56.64 that ties her because the 4th quickest all-time.
On prime of her breaststroke accolades, McSharry may also be counted on for a quick 50 freestyle as she owns a 21.74 lifetime greatest. As such, she’s not solely a characteristic on Tennessee’s medley relays however performs an vital position on their dash freestyle relays (she additionally break up 47.92 on the Girl Vols’ 400 free relay at SECs).
Emma Weyant, Florida
- 2024 Olympics: Bronze, 400 IM — 4:34.93
Emma Weyant (photograph: Jack Spitser)
One yr after getting disqualified at 2023 U.S. Nationals and lacking the Worlds roster, Emma Weyant cruised to a second 400 IM Olympic berth on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. On the Video games in Paris, Weyant repeated on the 400 IM Olympic podium, taking bronze in 4:34.93 behind Summer season McIntosh and Katie Grimes.
Weyant has been a key a part of the Florida ladies’s staff since she transferred to Gainesville for the 2022-23 season. At 2024 NCAAs, she helped the Gators earn their greatest end since 2010. Weyant was the staff’s second-highest scorer, racking up 48 particular person factors from ending 2nd within the 500 free, 2nd within the 400 IM, and fifth within the 1650 free. On the opening evening, she swam on Florida’s 800 free relay, which captured their first title within the occasion in 35 years.
Weyant was not too long ago named a captain for the second-straight season, highlighting the position that she performs on the staff. Whereas she’s the one Paris Olympian returning to the ladies’s staff this season, Tokyo Olympian Bella Sims additionally returns to assist the Gators construct off final season’s successes.
Relay Medalists
- Anna Peplowksi, Indiana — silver, 4×200 freestyle relay
- Erin Gemmell, Texas — silver, 4×200 freestyle relay
- Emma Weber, Virginia — gold, 4×100 medley relay
Olympic Finalists
