Turkish Olympian Merve Tuncel Plans To Enter The Transfer Portal

Turkish Olympian and European Junior Champion Merve Tuncel plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal later this week, she told SwimSwam. Tuncel spent her freshman season at Louisville.

Tuncel told SwimSwam via email:

“Continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Louisville has been an incredible experience for me. I have built amazing friendships and shared unforgettable moments with my teammates. The bond I formed with them made my time here truly special, both in and out of the pool. 

But I believe I need to make the best choice for my academic and athletic career. I got into the transfer portal after some problems. As an international student, adjusting to this new environment has been difficult for me. Getting used to the college swimming routine is especially challenging for international athletes. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to get a second chance to see that improvement in myself, even though most swimmers reach their performance after their freshman year. This decision was truly difficult for me, but I want to do what is best for my future.

During my time at Louisville, I’ve been lucky to work with coaches who are both helpful and committed. Reed Fujan, who is our distance coach, has been one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. It has been extremely beneficial to work with him after a few years of mental and physical challenges. I had trouble finding motivation within myself, especially in the years following my injury and during my recovery period. But as we worked together, he helped me rediscover how much I like swimming. I am grateful for all of his hard work and assistance, and I feel quite fortunate to have worked with him.

I want to thank all my teammates and coaches for their support during this process. I am excited to see what the future holds for me on this journey!”

Tuncel originally committed to USC for fall 2023 but after a “problem with admission,” she was in search for a new home. She did not arrive at Louisville until fall 2024. She represented Turkey at the 2020(1) Tokyo Olympics, finishing 11th in the 1500 free, 12th in the 800 free, and 19th in the 400 free.

She won her first European Junior titles in 2021, winning the 400, 800 and 1500 frees. She defended her titles in 2022, winning all three events once again. In 2023, she won the European Junior titles in the 800 and 1500 freestyles. After turning 19 on January 1, 2024, Tuncel finished 6th in the 800 free at the 2024 European Championships. She did not represent Turkey at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Arriving this past fall at Louisville, Tuncel’s season best times came in numerous dual meets. She swam a 4:52.34 in the 500 free, 9:54.14 in the 1000 free, and 16:43.76 in the 1650 free. She did not represent Louisville at ACCs, instead competing at the Louisville first and last chance meets. She swam a 4:55.91 in the 500 free and a 16:49.21 in the 1650 free at the first chance meet. She only swam the 500 at the last chance meet, touching in a 4:55.80 in prelims.

All of her swims from her freshman season were well off of her SCY conversions. Her best times in LCM and SCM come from 2020 or 2021.

Time Comparison:

Based on her best converted times, Tuncel is a huge pick up at any NCAA program. It took a 1:44.74 in the 200 free, 4:39.47 in the 500 free, and 16:09.37 in the 1650 free to earn an invite to 2025 NCAAs.

The portal opens for Division I women’s swimming and diving this Wednesday and closes on April 25th.