Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 AUGUST 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE T alk about an unexpected turn of "events." Barely a month ago, there was no way for rising Irish senior Chris Guiliano to even dream of what would lie ahead for him in the coming weeks. Competing at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis in mid-June, the Notre Dame freestyle ace entered the 200-meter race inside Lucas Oil Sta- dium seeded only 29th in the 60-com- petitor event. But instead of letting a low seed drag him down, Guiliano swam one of the best 200 races of his life, finished second in the event in 1:45.38. In doing so, he earned a place in the 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games that will begin later this month. Guiliano's surprising swim in the 200 meters — along with his win in the 100-meter freestyle (47.38) and his sec- ond-place finish in the 50-meter free- style (21.69) at Indianapolis — made him the first U.S. male swimmer since Matt Biondi in 1988 to finish first or second at the trials and therefore qualify for the Olympics in all three individual freestyle sprint events. In all, Guiliano qualified for the Olympics in five events: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and the 4x100 and 4x200 free relays. At press time in early July, the 21-year- old Douglassville, Pa., native was one of 16 current and former Notre Dame stu- dent-athletes who qualified to compete in Paris, including five returning medal- ists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021 after a COVID pause). Guiliano — the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmer of the Year — said before his trip to the U.S. Trials that stay- ing calm and staying on routine would shield him from the enormity of the up- coming meet and moment. MAKING A BIG SPLASH Swimmer Chris Guiliano leads a contingent of 16 current and former Irish student-athletes headed to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Guiliano was a standout at the U.S. Trials, qual- ifying for the Olympics in all three individual freestyle sprints (50, 100 and 200 meters) as well as the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS