Olympian Luke Whitlock Announces Commitment To Indiana As He Returns To The NCAA

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Paris Olympian Luke Whitlock has committed to the Indiana University men’s team for the upcoming NCAA season. Whitlock originally began his college career at Florida, but returned home to train with his club team, the Indiana-based Fishers Area Swimming Tigers, in December 2024 after the Gators’ midseason invitational.

In the post, Whitlock also shared news of an injury and his plan to not race at the US National Championships in Indianapolis next month. He said that last October, he began feeling pain in his right shoulder. He kept training and eventually had an MRI, which revealed a more serious injury.

“After not being able to train at the level I once did for the majority of this year due to this injury coupled with multiple illnesses, I finally realized continually pushing through isn’t the best option for me in the long term,” he said. “I have decided to take some time off to focus on shoulder rehab to hopefully avoid surgery. I am committed to getting my shoulder healthy so I can get back to doing what I love when the time is right.”

This is the second U.S. Olympian the Hoosiers have picked up via transfer this offseason. Alex Shackell already announced she flipped her commitment from Cal to Indiana, intending to join the Hoosier women for the spring semester on a split training program between Indiana and Carmel, her club team. While no announcement has been made, it has been widely anticipated that another Olympian, Alex’s brother Aaron Shackell, will join them next season.

When he announced his decision to return to his club team, Whitlock said “I will be training at Fishers for the second semester of this year and through next summer and my focus will be to try to make the long course worlds team this summer.” Though the U.S Trials for Singapore aren’t for another six weeks, Whitlock is already looking beyond the summer at the next step in his career.

Not only does this decision mean he will remain in-state, regardless of his training model, but Bloomington is also home to the two-time defending NCAA champion, Zalan Sarkany. The Arizona State transfer defended his title in Federal Way with a lifetime best 14:21.29. Whitlock should fit right in with Sarkany and the rest of Indiana’s distance freestyle crew. Whitlock made the U.S. Olympic roster in the 800-meter freestyle, finishing behind Bobby Finke in a 17-18 National Age Group record (7:45.19) after making big improvements in his primary events. Whitlock, one of the numerous swimmers to test positive for COVID-19, finished 15^th in the 800 freestyle at the Games, though his best would’ve placed 9^th.

He also made improvements in yards during the 2023-24 season. Whitlock was originally committed to Louisville, before he flipped his commitment to Florida at the beginning of his senior year of high school. After changing his commitment, Whitlock continued to improve, swimming leading 1000/1650 freestyle times in the boys’ high school class of 2024. He entered college as the #8 recruit in his class.

Whitlock’s Time Progression

Though he did not improve in the 500 freestyle during his short stint in Gainesville, he did drop almost a half-second in the 1650 freestyle, cracking 14:50 for the first time.

The Hoosier men made a splash last season with their transfer class, bringing in Sarkany, Owen McDonald, Matt King, and Brian Benzing, plus Olympic medalist Caspar Corbeau at midseason. The strategy was effective for them—after being involved in the conversation for the team title, they finished third at the 2025 NCAA Championships, 12 points behind Cal. Newcomers McDonald and Sarkany earning the most points among the Indiana swimmers at the championships. Sarkany defended his 1650 freestyle title in the 1650 freestyle with a lifetime best 14:21.29.

Whitlock’s lifetime best in the 1650 freestyle would have placed 20^th at the 2025 NCAA Championships and his 500 free time would have placed 42^nd.

While Whitlock is not part of their graduating class, he will join the high school class of 2025’s #3 Luke Ellis, #8 Josh Bey, #12 Noah Cakir, BOTR Brandon Fleck, Josh Hedberg, David Kovacs, and Lukas Paegle as an Indiana first-year this fall.

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