Still, former Gators All-American Enzo Martinez-Scarpe kept waking up and diving into the pool with Dressel and other Olympic hopefuls since finishing his collegiate career three years ago.
Martinez-Scarpe’s dedication has paid off. He won’t be a medal favorite at the Tokyo Games, but Martinez-Scarpe will be there representing his native Uruguay as a team captain next month when the Summer Olympics return with Dressel billed as one of the stars.
He won’t garner similar attention, but Martinez-Scarpe will be living out a dream since he took up the sport at a boy.
“I’m honored to have this opportunity and couldn’t have made it this far in my sports career without my family, friends, coaches, teammates, healthcare and authorities,”https://floridagators.com/” Martinez-Scarpe posted on his Facebook fan page earlier this month. “Going to the Olympics has always been my ultimate goal, my dream and finally being there is amazing. I know I made my childhood proud.”
In Uruguay, Martinez-Scarpe’s star will burn bright as he swims for his homeland half a world away.
AT A GLANCE
SPORT: Swimming
EVENT: 50-meter freestyle
HOW HE QUALIFIED: At the South American Swimming Championships in March in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Martinez-Scarpe touched the wall in 22.44 seconds in a three-way tie for first with Lucas Peixoto Martins (Brazil) and Alberto Mestre Vivas (Venezuela). The performance gave Martinez-Scarpe an Olympic Selection Time below the B-cut time of 22.67 seconds established for the men’s 50 free at the Tokyo Games.
TOKYO SCHEDULE: Preliminary heats for the men’s 50 free start July 30, Olympic Final is Aug. 1
UF CAREER: He joined the Gators in 2014 from Maldonado, Uruguay, and developed into a two-time All-American and NCAA champion in the 200-free relay as a fifth-year senior, teaming with Caeleb Dressel, Jan Switkowski and Mark Szarenek to win the title in 2018.
NEED TO KNOW: The 26-year-old Martinez-Scarpe is no stranger to international events. He represented Uruguay in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in South Korea and speaks fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese. He has maintained his ties to the Gainesville community since graduation from UF as a member of the Gator Swim Club, directed by former UF and U.S. Olympic Team head coach Gregg Troy.
QUOTE OF NOTE: “2020 was the most challenging year yet. COVID-19 impacted the world in so many ways, and being able to stay positive and consistent in my training was a true testament to how much I love this sport. Thank you again to everyone who helped me along the way in any capacity.” — Martinez-Scarpe on his Facebook fan page announcing that he had made the Uruguay National Team
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