2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Full Schedule
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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.
So he can try out for the German Olympic team at US trials but Santo can’t try out for the US Olympic team at US trials?
Got it!
He was there to make the US Team.
But only the top two finishers on that day get to go if they made the Olympic A standard. He got the Olympic A Standard and therefore is invited to the Olympics by the official rules of the iOC. Only in the US he was a not top two finisher that day.
But for Germany it was the no.1 time in the country and therefore gave him the opportunity of his Olympic berth as an 18year old.
Good for him. My (British born and raised) son lives in Germany on his Swiss passport. He has dual GB/Swiss nationality. His wife is German. Any children they have would be eligible to compete for any of the three countries, if they were good enough.
Switzerland allows you to have 9 citizenships simultaneously (if you can find another country that allows this) and still keep your Swiss citizenship. Germany only allows dual citizenship, but the beauty of a EU passport is that you don’t need another EU country’s passport to live in that country under the same conditions as a native, minus voting rights in that country. But neither GB nor Switzerland are EU countries.
If it were me, I’d probably try and get my kids dual German and Swiss citizenship, just because Switzerland requires you to bring a lot of money with you if you want to live there permanently or for an extended period of time as a non-citizen.
MANY US star swimmers could have represented other countries if they chose to do so, including, to name a few: Missy Franklin (Canada), Matt Grevers (the Netherlands), Lenny Krayzelburg (the Ukraine), Jay Litherland (New Zealand), Michael Andrew (S. Africa), Nathan Adrian (Hong Kong), Rebecca Soni (Hungary/Israel)….the list is long!
So can he ever switch back to represent the U.S.?
Yes, though under the new rules, that process becomes much less practical.
What the? This doesn’t seem right to me.
Bro really said switching sides
Wasn’t there a swimmer who pulled out of US trials to represent Lithuania at the European Championships last month.
Justine Murdock: https://swimswam.com/newly-minted-lithuanian-national-record-holder-justine-murdock-talks-citizenship-change/
Didn’t get as much attention because she was unlikely to ever qualify for an international team for the US, whereas many viewed Winkler as part of the future core of USA Swimming.
Congratulations Kaii!!! Everyone at Eagles is very proud of you! Good luck!🍀🦅