PARIS, France — Several East Tennessee swimmers, a few runners and more have passed the trials and moved on their way to possibly win gold. The Paris Olympics is almost here and several athletes have qualified to compete.
The Olympic Games will run from Friday, July, 26 to Sunday, Aug. 11. Here are the athletes who will compete:
Gui Caribe - Swimming
The rising junior has punched his ticket to the Paris Olympics in the sprint freestyles during the Brazilian Swimming Championships.
Before coming to Tennessee, he was a member of the Brazilian Swimming Federation.
As a freshman, Gui Caribe earned All-America recognition in six events: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay, according to Tennessee Athletics. He even posted the eighth-fastest time in the 50 free (19.16), making him one of only two freshmen to finish within the top 16 during the NCAA Championships.
Caribe has 12 All-American certificates, 11 SEC medal counts and eight career awards. He will compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Erika Connolly - Swimming
Former Tennessee swimmer Erika Connolly has qualified for a spot on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay team.
Connolly competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the 4x100 medley and a bronze medal in the 4x100 freestyle. She became the sixth Lady Vol swimmer to do so.
Connolly owns the world record in the 4x100 medley relay and holds the American record in the 100 butterfly. During her decorated career in Knoxville, she garnered 22 All-America honors and won 18 SEC gold medals.
Jillian Crooks - Swimming
Lady Vol swimming signee Jillian Crooks earned a bid to the Paris Olympics for the Cayman Islands, marking her second trip to Paris.
Crooks, the sister of current Tennessee All-American and national champion sprinter Jordan Crooks, represented her nation during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing 41st in the 100 free with a 57.32 effort, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Her career-best mark in the 100m freestyle is 55.18 from the Commonwealth Youth Games in August 2023. That time would've ranked 29th during the last games, Tennessee Athletics said.
Crooks will compete in the 100m freestyle.
Jordan Crooks - Swimming
Born in the Cayman Islands, Jordan Crooks has qualified for the Olympic Games after placing seventh in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the 2023 World Championships.
According to Tennessee Athletics, he earned the title of World Champion when he won the 50m freestyle at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships, becoming the first swimmer ever from the Cayman Islands to medal at a major championship.
Crooks has garnered a National Championship title in the 500m free, 18 All-American certificates and 21 SEC medal counts. He will compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Brooklyn Douthwright - Swimming
Rising senior Brooklyn Douthwright punched her ticket to compete on Team Canada's 4x100 free relay squad for the 2024 Paris Games during the Canadian Olympic Trials.
According to SwimSwam, Douthwright is part of Tennessee's second-ranked 2021 signing class. During the 2023 World Championships, she served as the anchor on the Canadian 800 free relay team that placed fifth.
She is a three-time World Junior Medalist, an Olympic Trials Bronze Medalist and a two-time Canadian Champion, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Douthwright has garnered seven All-American certificates, eight SEC medal counts and 11 career awards.
Lyubomir Epitropov - Swimming
Lyubomir Epitropov made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competing for Bulgaria in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
Epitropov won gold in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2021 SEC Championships, securing his first SEC title. The Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria, native holds the Tennessee school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:52.47, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Epitropov has garnered three All-American certificates, two SEC medal counts and four career awards. He will compete in the 200m breaststroke.
Martin Espernberger - Swimming
Rising junior Martin Espernberger punched his ticket to compete for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 1:54.69 effort in the 200m fly during the 2023 Toyota US Open Championships, Tennessee Athletics said.
Espernberger won his first medal after claiming bronze in the 200m fly during the 2024 World Championships. He represented Austria in the 200m fly at the 2023 World Championships, placing 20th.
He has garnered two All-American certificates, one SEC medal count and five career awards. Espernberger will compete in the 200m fly.
Ella Jansen - Swimming
A top-ranked recruit in the class of 2024, Ella Jansen has already punched her ticket to the Olympics before even arriving in Tennessee, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Jansen qualified for the Paris Summer Games during the Canada Olympic Trials in May. Swimming the 400 IM, Jansen finished second during trials with a 4:38.88 effort time. At the same time, her mark of 4:37.35 from the World Aquatic Junior Championships in September was good enough to secure her spot in Paris.
During the 2024 Doha World Championships, Jansen helped Canada to a bronze medal in the 400m free relay on the opening night of the competition and finished 10th overall in the 400m IM.
Ella Jansen earned a nomination to her first Olympic team after earning silver in the 400m individual medley and finishing fifth in the 200m freestyle.
Jansen was named Swimming Canada's 2022 Breakout Swimmer of the Year.
Mona McSharry - Swimming
Mona McSharry earned her spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after delivering a 1:06.29 time in the 100-meter breast, according to Tennessee Swimming.
That mark set the Irish national record in the event and was the seventh fastest time in the world this year. She also competed in the 200m breast. The Sligo, Ireland, native holds the UT record in both events, Tennessee Athletics said. She finished her freshman season by medaling at both the SEC and NCAA Championships and earned six All-America honors.
McSharry has garnered 23 All-American certificates, 21 SEC medal counts and 15 career awards. She will compete in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
Kayky Mota - Swimming
Kayky Mota will swim for Brazil in the Paris Olympics. During his graduate year, Mota earned All-American status in the 400m medley relay, according to Tennessee Athletics.
He helped the Vols to their best SEC Championships finish since 2001, tying for second. Mota won bronze in the 200m medley relay (1:23.35) and 400m medley relay (3:04.74) at the SEC Championships, swimming the fly leg in both events, Tennessee Swimming said.
Mota has garnered three All-American certificates, one SEC medal count and one career award. He will compete in the 100m fly.
Julia Mrozinski - Swimming
During the German Swimming Championships, Julia Mrozinski won silver in the 200m free with a time of 1:57.22, shattering her previous best effort in the event by more than a second and punching her ticket to the Olympic Games, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Mrozinski is a German Champion who is part of Tennessee's second-ranked 2021 signing class, according to SwimSwam. She is also a European Junior Champion and a World Championship finalist.
Mrozinski has garnered seven All-American certificates, five SEC medal counts and six career awards. She will compete in the 200m free.
Regan Rathwell - Swimming
Regan Rathwell overcame her injuries to earn the opportunity to appear in her first Summer Games in the 200m back after posting a time of 2:09.38, a full second under the qualifying standard during the Canadian Olympic Trials, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Before coming to Tennessee, Rathwell ranked as the No. 22 overall signee for the class of 2022 and the third-best swimmer from Canada.
She earned six medals during the Canadian Junior and Senior Championships in July, winning gold in the 200m back and silver in five other events.
Rathwell has garnered one career award at the University of Tennessee. She will compete in the 200m back.
Lamar Taylor - Swimming
Six-time NCAA Division II National Champion and Tennessee signee Lamar Taylor punched his ticket to the 2024 Olympics in the 100m freestyle for the Bahamas, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Taylor, who just recently arrived on campus ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, joined the Vols after a successful career at Henderson State, where he won individual national titles in the 50m free, 100m free (twice) and 100m back.
Kira Toussaint - Swimming
After competing for the Netherlands at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kira Toussaint is returning to Paris.
At Rio, Toussaint became the first women's swimmer in program history to compete in the Olympics while currently on the Tennessee team, finishing 18th in the 100 back.
In the Tokyo Olympics, she helped the Netherlands to a fourth-place finish in the 4x100 freestyle relay with a 3:33.70 time.
Toussaint has garnered eight All-American certificates, seven SEC medal counts and nine career awards during her time in Knoxville. She will compete in the 100m and 200m back.
Joaquin Vargas - Swimming
The 2020 Tokyo Olympian for Peru, Joaquin Vargas, will participate in the Paris Olympics by competing in the 400m freestyle.
Vargas is a member of Tennessee's 2021 signing class who represented Peru during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, swimming the 200m and 400m freestyles, events in which he owns the Peru National Record, according to Tennessee Athletics.
Vargas has garnered one career award at the University of Tennessee.
Alex Walsh - Swimming
The 22-year-old Olympian from Nashville has joined Team USA to participate in her second Olympics. Alex Walsh has a silver from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the 200m Individual Medley.
In the swimming trials, Walsh finished sixth in the 100m breast and third in the 200m breast in personal bests, according to SwimSwam.
She is a 2022 World Champion in the 200m IM and a five-time individual NCAA Champion.
Gretchen Walsh - Swimming
Gretchen Walsh is a six-time 2023 NCAA Gold Medalist who placed fifth overall in the 2020 US Olympic Swimming Trials.
According to Team USA, Gretchen is the youngest swimmer to qualify for the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trails. She also broke the National Age Group record in the 50-yard freestyle for the 13-14 age group.
Gretchen has won gold in the 4x100m medley relay, won silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay and won bronze in the 50m butterfly.
Ellen Walshe - Swimming
The Irish Olympian and National Champion Ellen Walshe will participate in the Paris Olympics by competing in the 200m and 400m IM.
Walshe competed for Ireland during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, swimming the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. She owns the national record in both events, according to Tennessee Athletics.
She led the Lady Vols to their second conference title in three seasons during the 2022 SEC Championships as a freshman, becoming the first swimmer in SEC history to win the 100m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM during the same meet, Tennessee Swimming said. Walshe won seven medals en route to being named the SEC Swimmer of the Meet and receiving the Commissioner's Trophy as the top overall points scorer.
Walshe has garnered seven All-American certificates, seven SEC medal counts and 10 career awards.
Harrison Williams - Track & Field
Memphis-native Harrison Williams qualified for Paris after placing third in the decathlon with 8,384 points at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trial.
Williams ruptured his plantar fascia during the pole vault the last time around at the U.S. Olympic Trials and missed qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, according to Team USA.
Brody Malone - Gymnastics
Born in Johnson City, 24-year-old Brody Malone is making his second debut at the Paris Olympics.
Malone first competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where he placed fourth on the horizontal bar. He has won two medals at the world championships: A bronze on high bar in 2021 and a gold on high bar in 2022, according to NBC Olympics. He has also won seven U.S. national titles.
According to Team USA, Malone is a seven-time NCAA champion whose most recent world champion experience was in 2022 when he won gold on the horizontal bar.
During his time at Stanford University, Malone won 10 NCAA titles: Three team, three high bar, two all-around, one floor and one on pommel horse, according to NBC Olympics.
Wes Kitts - Weightlifting
Knoxville native Wes Kitts qualified to compete in Paris on April 8 and will be one of two men from the U.S. to compete in the heavyweight category.
Kitts made his first Olympic team and was one of four men to represent the U.S. in the 2020 Tokoyo Olympics. Kitts finished eighth in the men's heavyweight category.
Sunny Choi - Breakdancing
Sunny Choi, born in Cookeville, will be the first female break dancer to represent the United States in the Olympics. She won silver in the 2022 World Games.
Matt Kredich - Swim Coach
Tennessee head swim coach Matt Kredich has spent 18 seasons at the university.
Kredich has received 13 awards/honors, including 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Atlantic-10 Coach of the Year and 2022 SEC Women's Coach of the Year.
You can find more information on the games here.
