Australian age report holder Olympia Pope has dedicated to swim on the College of North Carolina starting spring 2026*. Pope, who turns 17 in Would possibly, will likely be probably the most more youthful participants of her elegance.
Pope has represented Australia across the world at a couple of minor and junior meets. She is a four-time Oceania Swimming Championships gold medalist, and on the 2024 Junior Pan Percent Championships she completed ninth within the 100 breaststroke and tenth within the 200 breaststroke
At April’s Australian Age & Multi-Elegance Championships, she gained the 15-year-olds age department within the 200 breaststroke in 2:29.12 forward of every other younger Australian breaststroke megastar Sienna Toohey (2:29.52). The 2 are each front-runners to take the torch for a suffering Australian breaststroking team forward of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Video games.
Lifetime Bests in LCM (SCY Conversions)
100 breaststroke – 1:09.07 (1:00.42)
200 breaststroke – 2:29.12 (2:10.73)
Whilst Australians have now not traditionally had as large of an affect as different international locations at the NCAA, the door is open for extra to come back with the brand new coverage of getting world variety meets later within the season and the facility of athletes to assemble NIL cash and retain eligibility (Pope thanked her sponsor, Enviornment, in her dedication announcement).
A few of the few Australians who’ve made the travel, notable names come with Arizona and Arizona State swimmer David Schlicht, who used to be the NCAA runner-up within the 400 IM ultimate 12 months sooner than completing fifth at Quick Route Worlds within the 200 IM; and several other like Mel Schlanger, Phoebe Hines, and Laticia Transom (a switch from USC) on the College of Hawaii. Hawaii is the place maximum Australians have wound up, partially on account of geography (it’s just a 9.5 hour flight from Sydney) and partially on account of the presence of Australian coaches like Chris Mooney, who used to train on the Miami Swimming Membership in Queensland the place Pope trains.
UNC is coached by means of Mark Gangloff, who’s himself a breaststroker like Pope and gained two Olympic gold medals swimming the breaststroke leg of American relays. Pope is lately the quickest Australian 13-year-old ever within the 200 meter breaststroke, having swum 2:31.71 in 2022.
UNC has one different Australian on its roster: freshman diver Sofia Knight from Sydney.
Others in a robust UNC elegance of 2025 come with Marija Romanovskij from Lithuania, Adeline Cloutier from Florida, Chloe Stinson from California, Lexie Ward from Carmel Swim Membership in Indiana, Kamryn Meskill from Washington state, and a neighborhood swimmer Samantha Armand from Cary, North Carolina.
Leaning into Gangloff’s strengths, Armand (1:00.52/2:10.85) may be a breaststroker, although it’s general a flexible elegance.
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