Texas swimmers readjust to student life following summer Olympic success
Several Texas swimmers spent their summers gaining firsthand experience on swimming's largest stage, competing in front of crowds of over 20,000 people at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Current and former Longhorns represented multiple countries, medaled in both individual events and relays and even swam on the same relay team as Olympic veteran Katie Ledecky. Team USA's swimming roster contained 46 athletes, six of which are currently affiliated with Texas' program.
"I think it was probably the most fun I've ever had swimming," freshman Aaron Shackell said. "It was only like eight minutes of my life, but it was awesome."
However, as the dust is settling, the global spotlight is fading and several athletes have switched their medals for something far less glamorous — backpacks.
The swimming events in the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close on Aug. 4, and for seniors Anna Elendt, Luke Hobson and David Johnston, junior Hubert Kós, sophomores Erin Gemmell and Angie Coe and freshman Aaron Shackell, the focus quickly shifted to going back to school and training for the NCAA season ahead.
Preseason starts right alongside the school year for swimmers, which leaves little time for athletes to regroup.
"It's a sport where you have to be super consistent," Hobson said. "And it makes sense that they want us in the pool as soon as possible so we can get as much training before our first meet comes up."
That being said, Hobson self-advocated to arrange a four-week break after the Olympics to avoid both injury and burnout.
As someone who has struggled with burnout before, Shackell echoed the importance of taking time off.
"I kind of reevaluated my approach to swimming, and I decided I just wanted to enjoy it, and I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself," Shackell said.
It was after this re-evaluation that he qualified for the Paris Olympics, where he went on to earn eighth place in the 400-meter freestyle final.
Shackell trained in his hometown of Carmel, Indiana, for the majority of last year, so measures like mandatory freshman study hours in the academic center are also unfamiliar to him. Requirements such as these help freshmen adjust to the busy lifestyle of student athletes, but older swimmers also feel that responsibilities can be difficult to balance at times.
"I think it's definitely a lot," Gemmell said. "I mean, no one's gonna say that it's not."
Though the process is excruciating and the turnaround is fast, Texas is already proving it can achieve exceptional results this season. The No. 2 women's team defeated LSU 184-116 on the weekend of Oct. 11, setting 10 new pool records, two Texas program records and an SEC record. The No. 2 men's team beat LSU 198-102, with strong contributions from athletes who trained tirelessly over the summer and competed in Paris.
"I love the sport, I love the process, I love training, and just kind of like I enjoy the grind of it," Hobson said. "Because it's definitely not easy, and it can get tough at times."
