Nien Levy represents at the 2024 US Olympic Trials!

From London ‘12, to Rio ‘16, to Tokyo ‘21, to Paris ‘24, Condors has been a part of the US Olympic Trials for 12 years, through 4 different quads (qualification periods). This is an unparalleled streak and something that both Coach Jim and I are incredibly proud of. It is a testament to the hard work of our athletes, to the support of our families, and to the strength of our program.

This is what it means to be a Condor.

From Emily Escobedo, to Connor Carlucci to Carly Cummings, to Michael Daly, to Christiana Regenauer. And now, this torch of excellence has been passed down to Nien Levy.

It is so hard to express what it means to qualify for US Olympic Team Trials. The feeling during the moment you realized you’ve punched your ticket to one of the biggest moments in your life. The moment it truly sets in when you step foot on an Olympic Trials pool deck. The first splash, the first race, and whatever else comes after.

Approximately .5% of swimmers in the US qualify to compete. It is truly an elite accomplishment, a monumental task in and of itself. Overshadowed only by making the US Olympic Team itself, it is a career-crowning achievement alone.

And so, here we are, on the eve of Nien’s 50 Freestyle. A decade in the making. 10 years of hoping and plotting and planning. And now, after writing to you all so much about Emily, I can now speak about Nien in the same breath. To even be able to say that brings in such a flood of emotion.

There are so many memories that I can recall, last minute qualifications for Junior Olympics, or NCSA Age Group Championships — Nien JUST squeezing by at the last moment. But we believed, and we chipped away at it. We were dogged, together, in our pursuit of success. And Nien never gave up. It should come as no surprise that he secured his first US Olympic Trials spot in much the same fashion.

There’s no secret here, no little trick to Nien’s success. Since he was little, he and I have talked about the most important thing, over and over and over again — how did it feel? Nien has become a master of critiquing himself. Of learning to feel. And it is his dedication to mastering himself that he has become one of the most talented 50M Freestyle sprinters in the United States.  There was never a good swim or a bad swim that we didn’t sit down together, review, and say — what can we do better? 

Between all that critiquing, of course, there’s been a lot of hard work. Some sour moments, some sweet moments, and everything in between. It all lead to this place, what was once Omaha, is now Indianapolis, where Nien can ply his craft on the biggest swimming stage in the US, and the second biggest in the world. A magical moment that all of us Condors can share together.

Tomorrow, he races. And let me tell you something — this is only the beginning. Perhaps, just maybe, we are all together on another incredible journey. We should all make sure to revel in it, to savor it for what it is, something special. Use it as inspiration for yourselves, to be better in whatever it is that you do. Nien is paving a path for all of you, as a path was paved for him by those that came before. Follow his lead to something more.

Tomorrow — it starts tomorrow. Just before Noon. So, make a plan, find a space and some time, and watch Nien do what he does best. Cheer, scream, and yell as Nien flies our flag and races his heart out on the National stage.

Livestream it on www.usaswimming.org, at 11:30 AM.

Let’s go Ni!