and Penny Oleksiak (Canada), Kayla Sanchez (Philippines), and Jarrod Hatch Mission Viejo Nadadores (Philippines) has already qualified for Paris this summer, extending its streak of producing Olympic athletes for 48 consecutive years dating back to 1976.
The 23-year-old Oleksiak won last month's trials to qualify for her third Olympic Games as a member of Canada's 4x100m freestyle relay. Her winning time of 53.66 just missed the Olympic A-cut for the 100m individual freestyle swim, but Canada's most decorated Olympian said she plans to compete in another meet to try and beat the standard before the qualification period ends on June 23. Oleksiak came to Mission Viejo from HPC Ontario last year after struggling with injuries the past few years.
Sanchez, 23, recently changed nationality from Canada. She represented the Philippines at the World Championships in February, placing 15th (55.07) in the 100m freestyle semifinals. Hatch, 25, set a national record of 52.87 at the 2023 World Championships last summer and will represent the Philippines in the 100m butterfly. He won a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly at the Southeast Asian Games last May. Both athletes qualified for the Paris Olympics under universality rules.
“The tradition continues,” said Mission Viejo Nadadores. Michelle Mitchella two-time Olympic silver medal-winning diver. “Members of the Mission Viejo Nadadores swimming and diving team have participated as team members in every Olympic Games since 1976, and we are thrilled to celebrate this generation as they chase their Olympic dreams at Paris 2024. The upcoming Olympic Trials are the culmination of a lifetime of dedication and we get to celebrate all of the swimming superstars as they chase their dreams.”
Nineteen swimmers and nine divers from Nadadores qualified for the Olympic Trials this month, and there's a chance more Mission Viejo swimmers could follow Oleksiak and Hatch in Paris. Trenton JulianSon of Director Nadadores Jeff Julienis the leading American man in the 200 butterfly this season with a time of 1 minute 55.59 seconds.
Founded in 1968, Mission Viejo transformed into a nationally competitive program under the guidance of its coaches in the 1970s. Mark SchubertNadadores swimmers have won 20 Olympic medals, including 12 gold medals, and have also broken 22 world records. The club has produced Olympic champions such as: Mary T. Meagher (1980, 1984, 1988), Dara Torres (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008), Brian Goodell (1976, 1980), Diving Legend Greg Louganis (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988) and Tom Shields (2016, 2021). A few years ago, Mission Viejo was a Annie Lazer, Zach Apple, Haley AndersonDiver Brandon Loschiavo.
The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials will be held June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, with diving taking place June 16-23 at the Alan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
