LSU swimmer Jere Hribar qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics Saturday night by clearing the A qualification standard in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2024 Speedo Canadian Swimming Open in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Hribar, a native of Split, Croatia, will represent his home country in Paris after clocking an official time of 21.94 and winning the event. The A standard Hribar had to clear to achieve the automatic qualification was 21.96.
Hribar, one of the top freshmen sprinters in collegiate swimming, claimed an All-American honor in the 50-yard freestyle after placing 10th in the consolation final with a time of 18.96. Hribar currently holds the No. 2 spot in the LSU record book in the 50-free (18.81) and 100-free (41.96), only behind U.S. Olympic Gold medalist Brooks Curry.
“This was an outstanding accomplishment for Jere, and we are proud of everything he has achieved this season,” head coach Rick Bishop said. “The Canadian Open was a quick turnaround from the NCAA Championship where Jere earned All-American honors in the 50 free and established himself as one of the top two Freshman sprinters in the NCAA.”
Hribar narrowly missed the A standard in the 50-free by .01 during the prelim session but showed resiliency to return in the evening session and achieve the ultimate goal for any swimmer: The Olympic Games.
LSU had additional athletes competing at the Canadian Open, with current Tigers Sofia Sartori and Helen Sava swimming at the Canadian Open.
“Our other Tiger swimmers, Helen Sava, Sofia Sartori, and Maggie MacNeil, also competed great,” Bishop said. “This was Helen’s first long-course opportunity, and she posted some strong times. Sofia, who also just returned from the NCAA Championship, achieved an outstanding lifetime best in the 100-fly and has now established herself as one of the top butterfliers for Italy.”
Sartori clocked a 59.84 in the 100-meter fly.
Former Tiger and Olympic champion Maggie MacNeil used the opportunity as a training event. She is preparing for the Canadian Olympic Trials, which will take place from May 13-19 in the same facility the Tigers competed in for the Canadian Open.
“Maggie’s swims were on point with her previous early season swims,” Bishop said. “This was a great event for our Tigers and keeps our momentum going as we continue to prepare for the various Olympic Trials and upcoming Paris Olympic Games.”
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