U.S. NAG Record Holder Kaii Winkler To Represent Germany At Paris Olympics In 100 Fly

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After competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month, Kaii Winkler is set to represent Germany at the 2024 Olympic Games.

As a dual citizen of the United States and Germany, Winkler was able to opt to compete for Germany in Paris after he didn’t qualify for the American team in June (see the restrictions below).

The 18-year-old has represented the U.S. in international competition before, doing so at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

Either Junior Pan Pacs didn’t qualify as a “continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognized by the relevant IF,” or the German and American National Olympic Committees agreed to waive the three-year waiting period to allow Winkler to represent Germany.

See The Olympic Charter Chapter 2, Rule 41 restrictions below:

A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he may elect. However, after having represented one country in the Olympic Games, in continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognized by the relevant IF, he may not represent another country unless he meets the conditions set forth in paragraph 2 below that apply to persons who have changed their nationality or acquired a new nationality.

A competitor who has represented one country in the Olympic Games, in continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognized by the relevant IF, and who has changed his nationality or acquired a new nationality, may participate in the Olympic Games to represent his new country provided that at least three years have passed since the competitor last represented his former country. This period may be reduced or even cancelled, with the agreement of the NOCs and IF concerned, by the IOC Executive Board, which takes into account the circumstances of each case.

Winkler is entered in the men’s 100 butterfly in Paris, having lowered his best time down to 51.51 at the U.S. Olympic Trials (placing 8th) to put him under the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) of 51.67 (he also went 51.64 in the semis).

Germany previously had Luca Armbruster slated to swim the 100 fly in Paris, but he had only been under the Olympic Consideration Time (51.93) and not the OQT. Winkler is now Germany’s lone entrant in the event.

In the summer of 2023, after a breakout Spring that included lowering the U.S. boys’ 15-16 National Age Group Record in the 100 free (48.81) and setting additional personal bests in the 50 free (22.49) and 200 free (1:49.02) in March, Winkler suffered fractures in his elbow and wrist in a biking accident, forcing him out of the U.S. National Championships (the World Championship qualifying event).

Although he wasn’t able to quite get back to his best times in the freestyle events at the U.S. Olympic Trials, posting respective times of 22.70, 49.22 and 1:50.54 in the 50, 100 and 200, he will be an asset to the German free relays in Paris.

Germany has newly-minted National Record Josha Salchow entered to swim the 100 free individually at the Games, while they also have Artem Selin in the 50 free, and Lukas Märtens and Rafael Miroslaw in the 200 free.

The Germans are qualified to swim all three male relays at the Games.

Set to join NC State this fall, Winkler, as a dual citizen, won’t have any conflicts with NIL in the NCAA (which is a big hurdle for international student-athletes).

At the 2022 Junior Pan Pacs, the Eagle Aquatics product won a pair of gold medals in the boys’ 400 free and 400 medley relays, and added an individual silver in the 50 free.

In addition to owning the boys’ 15-16 NAG record in the long course 100 free, Winkler also holds the mark in short course yards, having gone 41.96 in March 2023 to become the first 16 & under swimmer under the 42-second barrier.