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Meet the Hoosier Olympians

Jul 8, 2021

Take a dive into details about the 16 Hoosier competitors and two Hoosier coaches at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and learn more about their history of excellence.

All images are courtesy of IU Athletics.

Athletes

Bailey Andison

Andison’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 23

Hometown: Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada

Class: 2019 graduate

Olympic events: 200-meter individual medley

About Andison: Finished third in the 200-meter individual medley at Canada’s trials for the Tokyo Summer Games but was under the Olympic qualifying standard and was added to Canada’s Olympic swimming and diving squad. Placed sixth in the 400-yard individual medley and eighth in the 200 individual medley at the NCAA championships as a senior. Finished eighth in the 200 individual medley at the NCAA championships as a junior.

Quotable: “I’m really excited since this last year has been quite a rollercoaster. I think if the trials had happened in 2020 when they were supposed to, I don’t think I would have made the team. I wasn’t mentally prepared. Physically my body was ready, but I think I was questioning myself too much. This year has given me an opportunity to mature and grow as an athlete, and with the help of my coaches at IU and my teammates at IU, I got to the place where I needed to be for the trials. I’m really excited to go to Tokyo. I think I have a lot more in me.”

Zach Apple

Apple’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 24

Hometown: Trenton, Ohio

Class: 2019 graduate

Olympic events: 100-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle relay, 800-meter freestyle relay

About Apple: Qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics by placing second in the 100-meter breaststroke, which qualified him for relay teams as well. As a senior, swam on the NCAA championship 400-yard medley relay team, placed second in the 200-yard freestyle and finished third in the 100-yard freestyle. As a junior, placed third in the 200 freestyle at the NCAA championships.

Quotable: “I had a conversation with the coaches … when we were coming back into training from the whole (COVID-19) shutdown, and I told them I really felt like I had a chance to win gold in the next (Olympics) if we changed a few things in training and I could really focus on the 100 free. We did that, and I was able to convince them to trust me in that, and I put the trust in them as well for setting up the training.”

Michael Brinegar

Brinegar’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 21

Hometown: Columbus, Indiana

Class: Just finished redshirt sophomore season

Olympic events: 800-meter freestyle, 1,500-meter freestyle

About Brinegar: Qualified for the Olympics by finishing second in the 800 and 1,500 freestyles at the U.S. trials. Finished 10th in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA championship meet in 2021. At the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships, placed third in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle events. As a freshman, placed second in the 1,650 freestyle at the NCAA meet. His mother, Jennifer Hooker Brinegar, competed in the 1976 Olympics and swam at IU.

Quotable: “I did lots of sports when I was younger. I played basketball, soccer and baseball. But I stopped playing all of those when I was like 12, so I could focus on swimming after that.”

Jorge Campillo

Campillo’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 35

Hometown: Caceres, Spain

Class: 2009 graduate

Olympic events: Men’s golf

About Campillo: During his junior season, Campillo finished second at the NCAA Championship, and won the Big Ten “Triple Crown” by winning the Big Ten Championship, being named Big Ten Golfer of the Year and winning the Les Bolstad Award (given to the Big Ten player with the lowest scoring average). He was also named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2009. Campillo finished his career with the second-lowest scoring average in school history. He turned pro in 2009, and is a two-time winner on the European Tour.

Andrew Capabianco

Capobianco’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 21

Hometown: Holly Springs, North Carolina.

Class: Just finished redshirt junior season

Olympic events: 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized springboard diving

About Capobianco: Won 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized springboard with Michael Hixon at U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. Was 3-meter springboard NCAA champion in 2019 and 2021. Named Big Ten Diver of the Year in 2019 and 2021. Is a seven-time All-American and a 2019 Pan American Games team member.

Quotable: “The experience has been a dream. I definitely saw it coming a little; we’ve been working really hard. With the extra year, it gave me a little bit more confidence going into it. I am one of the younger competitors, so I think that was definitely a good thing for me. It just gives me confidence moving forward. Drew (Johansen) has just done such a great job with me physically; but more importantly, mentally I’ve become a very strong competitor and a much more confident competitor. I think that in my first few years, I was a bit doubtful of myself. Now I see I can be one of the best in the world, so I’m excited.”

Marwan Elkamash

Elkamash’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 27

Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt

Class: 2017 graduate

Olympic events: 400-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle

About Elkamash: Qualified for two Olympics – 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo – both times representing Egypt. At the 2016 Rio Summer Games, finished 16th in the 400-meter freestyle with Egyptian and IU record of 3:47.43, and placed 24th in 200 freestyle with Egyptian and IU record of 1:47.52. At 2017 NCAA championships, placed seventh in 500-yard freestyle.

Quotable: “I’m more of a goal-oriented guy. I like to have a goal, something I need to achieve. Without them being there (during the pandemic shutdown), it was hard. As soon as I started training in November, I was a different person. I was training like never before, like I was 18, and I’m 27. In my mind, I shouldn’t be training this good. My training is the best it’s ever been, and I’m really excited about the Olympics this year.”

Tomer Frankel

Frankel’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 20

Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel

Class: Just finished freshman season

Olympic events: 100-meter butterfly

About Frankel: Qualified for Olympics by meeting Olympic A standard and setting Israeli record in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 51.81 seconds at Israel’s Olympic trials. Finished ninth in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard butterfly at the 2021 NCAA championships.

Quotable: “The past year was quite difficult for me with COVID-19 and my first year in college. It made it harder. I came to the U.S. without my family, and I wasn’t able to see them for 10 months, so it was tough. So, doing everything by myself, meeting new people and new teammates helped me to shape my personality in a better way. Thanks to the coaches and the intense schedule that I have every day in Bloomington, I know how to handle things in a better way. Just being next to my teammates and competing and racing them in practice improved me as a swimmer and teammate.”

Jessica Gaudreault

Gaudreault’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 27 (as of July 18)

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Class: 2018 graduate

Olympic events: Water polo

About Gaudreault: A goalkeeper, she was selected as an alternate for Canada’s Olympic team. She helped Canada win a silver medal in the 2019 Pan Am Games. A three-time Collegiate Water Polo Association All-Conference First Team selection. Concluded her tenure at IU second in saves with 995.

Michael Hixon

Hixon’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 26 (turns 27 on July 16)

Hometown: Amherst, Massachusetts

Class: 2018 graduate

Olympic events: 3-meter synchronized springboard diving

About Hixon: Won 3-meter synchronized springboard diving competition with Andrew Capobianco at U.S. Olympic Diving Trials. Qualified for two Olympics: 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo. Earned a silver medal with Sam Dorman in 3-meter synchronized springboard diving at 2016 Summer Games in Rio; finished 10th in 3-meter springboard at Rio Games. Was NCAA champion 1-meter springboard in 2018. Named NCAA Diver of the Year in 2014; won NCAA championships in 1-meter and 3-meter springboard.

Quotable: “I remember when I first made it, it was beyond my wildest dreams to be on the Olympic team. To come back and be on my second one is really special, and it’s an incredibly different feeling going through the trials process. We’ll see what it’s like during the games, but I’m incredibly grateful for the good fortune I’ve had in my diving career and the people who have helped me and allowed me to be in the sport. You don’t make an Olympic team without a lot of help, and you certainly don’t make a second one with a lot more help. I’m really grateful for everyone who has played a huge role in it.”

Ali Khalafalla

Khalafalla’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 25

Hometown: Cairo, Egypt

Class: 2018 graduate

Olympic events: 50-meter freestyle

Notable: Second time competing in the Olympics for Egypt. Also competed in the 2016 Rio Summer Games and placed 23rd in the 50-meter freestyle. As a senior, he was a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay that placed sixth in the NCAA championships. As a junior at the NCAA Championships, swam on the 200-meter freestyle relay that placed seventh and on the 400 freestyle relay that finished eighth. Member of the 400 freestyle relay that finished fourth in the NCAA Championships his sophomore year.

Quotable: “It is an honor to represent Egypt at my second Olympics, an honor that I do not take for granted. To be able to give back to my homeland and represent them at the world’s biggest stage has been a dream come true. To do it again is exciting.”

Lilly King

King’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 24

Hometown: Evansville, Indiana

Class: 2019 graduate

Olympic events: 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke

About King: Has qualified for two Olympics: 2020 Tokyo and 2016 Rio. Won gold medal at Rio Games in 100-meter breaststroke with Olympic record time of 1:04.93; also won gold as member of 4x100-meter medley relay team. Qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics by winning the 100 breaststroke and placing second in the 200 breaststroke at the U.S. trials. At 2017 FINA World Championships, won two individual titles (50-meter breaststroke, 100-meter breaststroke) and was on two winning relays (4x100-meter medley, mixed 4x100-meter medley) – setting world records in all four events. Individually, still holds the 100-meter breaststroke world record of 1:04.13. Won NCAA championships in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke all four years.

Quotable: “I am ready to go. I feel much more experienced at this point. Going into 2016, I was like a deer in the headlights. I had no idea what was going on. I am feeling a lot more at ease but also prepared.”

Vini Lanza

Lanza’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 24

Hometown: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Class: 2019 graduate

Olympic events: 200-meter individual medley, 100-meter butterfly, possibly relays

About Lanza: Named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year as a senior. As a senior, won NCAA championships in the 100-yard butterfly and 400-yard medley relay, and placed second in the 200-yard butterfly. As a junior, swam on the NCAA champion 400 medley relay and the runner-up 800 medley relay, and finished third in the 100 and 200 butterfly.

Quotable: “The dream of becoming an Olympian has always motivated me. It was something so distant in most parts of my career that it hasn’t really hit me yet. I have always loved the challenge of trying to get better every day by a little bit. We athletes become addicted to the winning feeling – that you have achieved the goal you have worked so hard for. That one moment is the reason we do this every day. I am so happy that I get to enjoy that feeling one more time swimming at the Olympics for Brazil.”

Shae (Fournier) LaRoche

LaRoche’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 29

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Class: 2014 graduate

Olympic events: Water polo

About LaRoche: Selected for Canada’s Olympic team. An attacker, she holds IU records for single season (95) and career goals (305). She is one of only five players in NCAA history to record more than 300 goals. She was the 2014 Collegiate Water Polo Association Player of the Year in 2014, helping the Hoosiers to the CWPA championship that year.

Quotable: “After taking so much time off of competing due to the pandemic, I definitely have more feelings of anticipation and excitement bottled up. It was the longest time I had spent without playing water polo, specifically competing against other teams in an official capacity. Thankfully, we have had the opportunity to play many games this summer leading up to the Olympics, so as a team we have been able to shake off the cobwebs and really get back into a more comfortable emotional state to compete in.”

Jessica Parratto

Parratto’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 27

Hometown: Dover, New Hampshire

Class: 2019 graduate

Olympic events: 10-meter synchronized platform diving

About Parratto: Has qualified for two Olympics (2020 Tokyo and 2016 Rio). Won the 10-meter synchronized platform diving event with Arizona’s Delaney Schnell at the U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify for Tokyo games. Placed third in platform diving and ninth in 1-meter diving at 2019 NCAA championships. Finished seventh in 3-meter and platform diving at the 2018 NCAA championships. Runner-up in the platform dive at the 2017 NCAA championships. Finished seventh in 10-meter synchronized platform dive with IU’s Amy Cozad and 10th in the 10-meter platform dive at the 2016 Rio Summer Games. Was 2015 NCAA champion in platform diving and finished seventh in 3-meter springboard.

Quotable: “This is a way different experience, especially with COVID this time around. I feel like the preparation has been really different. The way I have mentally prepared has been kind of understanding this is going to be a grind and to expect the unexpected this year. As far as confidence, I kind of felt – especially the last few months – a lot more confident and really ready to go. And knowing that it’s actually going to happen has been great.”

Blake Pieroni

Pieroni’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 25

Hometown: Valparaiso, Indiana

Class: 2018 graduate

Olympic events: 400-meter freestyle relay

About Pieroni: Has qualified for two Olympics: 2020 Tokyo and 2016 Rio. Finished third in the 100-meter freestyle final at the U.S. Olympics Swimming Trials to qualify for the 400-meter relay at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games. At the 2018 NCAA championships, swam on the winning 400-yard freestyle relay and runner-up 800-yard freestyle relay, and placed fourth in the 100-yard freestyle. Swam on gold-medal-winning 400-meter freestyle relay at 2017 FINA World Championships. Tied for second in 200-yard freestyle at 2017 NCAA championships. Earned a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Games as part of the 400-meter freestyle relay, swimming in the morning preliminaries.

Quotable: “This time, the anxiousness of the (Olympic trials) meet, I felt that very heavily. Last time I don’t remember that as strongly. The pressure is probably a little bit more now, but I feel that’s because of the COVID year. … The anxiousness, the last four weeks leading into the trials seemed like a year.”

Gabi Rennie

Rennie’s IU Athletics bio

Age: 20

Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand

Class: Just finished freshman year

Olympic events: Women’s soccer

About Rennie: Played forward in all 11 games for the Hoosiers and started four. Assisted on one goal against Michigan. Served as captain of New Zealand’s Under-20 squad. Member of New Zealand’s U-17 national team that earned a bronze medal in the 2018 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Quotable: “Representing my country is something that I have aspired to do since I could walk. I have always watched the Olympics and dreamed that one day I would be there. I am so extremely proud to have this opportunity to represent New Zealand and to do it at the Olympics is such a cool feeling. Getting to compete at the same competition as some of the best athletes in the world is such a cool experience and I’m so excited for what’s to come.”

Coaches

Drew Johansen

Johansen’s IU Athletics bio

Olympic role: Head coach of U.S. Olympic diving team

About Johansen: Third time serving as head coach of U.S. Olympic diving team: 2020 Tokyo, 2016 Rio, 2012 London. Under his guidance, Olympic divers earned three medals, two silver and one bronze, in 2016 and four medals – one gold, one silver, two bronze – in 2012. Named national Diving Coach of the Year in 2018 after helping IU to a third-place finish in the NCAA championships, where IU’s Andrew Capobianco won the 3-meter dive. Named third diving coach in IU history in 2013, coming from Duke University.

Quotable: “To be a head coach of an Olympic team once I thought was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here it is, the third time. You get named the head coach based on the performance of your athletes. … To me, it’s just a tremendous gift. Here in the third round, the experience I bring to this team is only going to continue to help us stay as a team and have great performances while we’re there.”

Ray Looze

Looze’s IU Athletics bio

Olympic role: Assistant coach of U.S. Olympic swimming team

About Looze: Previously served as an assistant for the U.S. Olympic swim team in 2016. He has led IU’s men’s swimming program for 18 seasons and the women’s for 16. Under his guidance, the men’s and women’s programs have become perennial favorites for the Big Ten Conference championship and top-10 teams nationally. Guided the women to five Big Ten championships and the men to four conference crowns. Guided the men to consecutive third-place finishes at the NCAA championships in 2018 and 2019.

Quotable: “It is a huge honor to get to be a part of the USA swimming staff again. Five years later, I feel like I know what I am doing this time around. … I think we (IU) have 12 total swimmers and divers overall, and eight U.S. We are moving in the right direction, and I am super pumped to go to Tokyo and make USA proud.”

Read additional stories about the Hoosier athletes competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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