With Penny Oleksiak (Canada), Kayla Sanchez (Philippines), and Jarod Hatch (Philippines) already punching their tickets to Paris this summer, Mission Viejo Nadadores have extended their 48-year streak of qualifying athletes for the Olympics since 1976.
The 23-year-old Oleksiak qualified for her third Olympics as a member of Canada’s 4×100 freestyle relay with her victory at Trials last month. Her winning time of 53.66 barely missed the Olympic ‘A’ cut to swim the 100 free individually, but Canada’s most decorated Olympian said she’s planning on attending another meet to hit the standard before the qualifying window closes on June 23. Oleksiak came to Mission Viejo from HPC Ontario last year after struggling with injuries the past couple years.
Sanchez, 23, recently switched sporting citizenship from Canada. She represented the Philippines at February’s World Championships, placing 15th in the 100 free semifinals (55.07). Hatch, 25, will represent the Philippines in the 100 butterfly after setting a national record of 52.87 last summer at the 2023 World Championships. He won a bronze medal in the 100 fly at the Southeast Asian Games last May. They both qualified for the Paris Olympics through the universality rule.
“The tradition continues,” said Mission Viejo Nadadores executive director Michele Mitchell, a two-time Olympic silver medalist diver. “Members of the Mission Viejo Nadadores swimming and diving team have been team members in every Olympic Games since 1976, and we are thrilled to celebrate this generation as they pursue their Olympic dreams for Paris 2024. The upcoming Olympic Trials is a culmination of a lifetime of dedication and we honor all our aquatic superstars and they pursue their dreams.”
More Mission Viejo swimmers could join Oleksiak and Hatch in Paris as 19 Nadadores swimmers and nine divers are qualified for Olympic Trials this month. Trenton Julian, son of Nadadores head coach Jeff Julian, is the top-ranked American man in the 200 fly this season at 1:55.59.
Founded in 1968, Mission Viejo transformed into a national competitive program in the 1970s under coach Mark Schubert. Nadadores swimmers have won 20 Olympic medals, including 12 gold, while also breaking 22 world records. The club has produced Olympic champions such as Mary T. Meagher (1980, 1984, 1988), Dara Torres (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008), Brian Goodell (1976, 1980), diving legend Greg Louganis (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988) and Tom Shields (2016, 2021). A few years ago in Tokyo, Mission Viejo was well-represented between Annie Lazor, Zach Apple, Haley Anderson, and diver Brandon Loschiavo.
U.S. Olympic Trials for swimming will run from June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, while diving will take place June 16-23 at Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
I’m pretty certain that Michael Brinegar who qualified for the 2021 Olympics in the 800? And I believe the 15 00 also qualified representing mvn.
Do the Phil swimmers really count to this tally when they are being sent on universality rule and never hit the Olympic time standard??
I think Tiffany Cohen swam for MVN back in the 80s.
I feel like MVN has produced far more than 20 Olympic medals.
Guess Larsen Jensen never existed.
Where is Kayla Sanchez at? Isn’t she training with Mission too?
Word on the street is she’s training with UBC in Vancouver at the moment, where she’ll be swimming and going to school next year.
You mean they were paid to registered with them?!
Ray Looze developed Annie Lazor into an Olympian not the Mission Viejo Nadadores.
They sponsored her and Looze coach her.