Dean Farris and Raphael Marcoux, who were supposed to return to Harvard University men’s swimming and diving team this fall after having taken an Olympic gap year in 2019-20, are not on the 2020-21 roster. The school has confirmed that neither swimmer is enrolled at Harvard this semester, but could not confirm if they would rejoin the Crimson in January 2021 for the spring semester.
Harvard announced in late spring that all course instruction for the 2020-21 academic year would be delivered online and that it planned to bring up to 40% of undergraduates to campus – including all first-year students for the fall semester and all seniors for the spring semester. Some students have chosen to live off-campus in the Boston/Cambridge area while enrolled at the college this year.
As a reminder, the Ivy League Council of Presidents decided in July that “it will not be possible for Ivy League teams to participate in intercollegiate athletics competition prior to the end of the fall semester.” The Ivy League is not expected to make a decision about spring athletics until December.
Farris is the American and NCAA record-holder in the 200y freestyle. He lowered the mark to 1:29.15 while leading off the Harvard 4×200 free relay in his junior year season at 2019 NCAA Championships. He won the 100 back (43.66) and 100 free (40.80) at the meet. Farris took off the 2019-20 season to train under Eddie Reese at the University of Texas, after notching 48.07/1:46.45 times in the LCM 100/200 free during the summer of 2019 and thus positioning himself to make Team USA for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Farris’s Top Times:
- 200y free: 1:29.15
- 100y free: 40.80
- 50y free: 18.92
- 100y back: 43.66
- 200y back: 1:38.99
Marcoux, a Canadian citizen, is strong in sprint fly/free. He qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championships in the 50 free as a junior and swam key legs on several Harvard relays that scored at that meet.
Marcoux’s Top Times
- 50y free: 19.22
- 100y free: 42.95
- 100y fly: 46.44
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021, causing some speculation as to whether the long list of Olympic gap years and redshirts across the country would take a second consecutive season off. Harvard has not been able to confirm that Farris and Marcoux are taking the whole year, allowing for speculation that they will not return to Cambridge until the fall of 2021.
[insert joke about Dean Farris being holy] the Ivy League has stricter rules on “5 years to play 4” right? If the NCAA extends the 5 year clock, I assume the Ivy League has to follow? Whatever that rule is, I think they made a good decision knowing their NCAA career is likely over, because I don’t see the NCAA (or especially the Ivy League) hosting proper training/competition this year.
What about his brother Philippe?
So here’s my thought – if I were Dean, I would finish my degree with the easy online option available while still training at Texas. Then you get the ever illusive/overrated harvard degree, best of both worlds. Then, he could do a grad transfer year after Tokyo (assuming Ivy/NCAA will allow it in this unprecedented year).
Perhaps they flunked out….
Perhaps they’re trying to save eligibility because this year is about to be a wash anyway.
Dean Farris has never failed at anything
If by ‘flunked out’ you mean attained total enlightenment and ascended- then yeah, I could see that.
Not sure about Raphael though.
This drama queen will probably wait to return on Easter Sunday again like he did last time.
Harvard must have missed the memo…it’s up to them to return to Dean
Any ideas on where Dean is training currently? MA or TX?
Boston College
As of a couple weeks ago, I’d heard he’s training with a very small group in MA
You heard wrong
He is in MA, saw him this morning.
Heard he might be headed to ASC soon
Dean said he’ll be away for 40 days, if anyone needs him he’ll be in the desert and no he isn’t transferring to ASU.
Dean is training at BC with coach stephens. Still up north.
That is funny! Going from Harvard to ASU!!