Kieran Smith will not be the biggest US swimming star at the 2021 Olympics. He won’t even be the biggest Florida Gators swimming star at the Summer Games. That distinction will all but certainly fall to Caeleb Dressel, who just might blow up as the biggest of all athletes (nationally or internationally) at the Games.
More on that Dressel guy down the line.
Smith, however, will have a chance to make a name for himself in a trio of freestyle events, each of which figures to be hotly contested by an outstanding team from Australia.
The two-time Southeastern Conference Male Swimmer of the Year, Smith is the American record-holder in the 500 free, but that’s a short-course event and thus not an Olympic event. The 6-foot-5 senior from Ridgewood, Conn., earned his spot on the team by utilizing his picture-perfect stroke to win both the 200 and 400 free events at the Trials last month. Those two victories earned also one of the team’s free relay spots.
While his time of 3:44.86 crushed the American field by a whopping three seconds, that number currently sits just ninth-best in the world. His 1:45.29 was good enough to win the 200, but currently rates sixth in the world.
So Smith has some work to do, but he’s also known for putting in the work. We’ll be watching.
AT A GLANCE
SPORT: Men’s swimming
HOW HE QUALIFIED: Won the 400 freestyle (3:44.86) on June 13 and the 200 free (1:45.29) on June 14 at the US Olympic Trials at Omaha, Neb. His wins and times automatically gave Smith a spot on the 4 x 200 frees relay team.
TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 24 — 400 free prelims; July 25 — 200 free heats; 400 free final; July 26 — 200 free semifinals; 200 free final; July 27 — 4 x 200 semifinals and final.
UF CAREER: Made an instant impact as a collegiate rookie on the SEC dynasty that is UF men’s swimming team on his way to being named the league’s Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he was crowned the top male performer at the SEC meet, a title he defended as a junior in 2021 in guiding the Gators to a ninth straight league championship by winning the 500 free with an American record of 4:06.32, then adding a first in the 400 individual medley. Smith also placed third in the 100 free.
NEED TO KNOW: In the fall of 2019, Smith was selected by UF coach Anthony Nesty as one of the team’s representatives to the “Gator Leadership Experience,” a first-year pilot program and brainchild of Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. The group met monthly (until the COVID shutdown) with the goal of cultivating leaders within all Gators programs.
QUOTE OF NOTE: “I still have to tell myself I belong here — and I do. I look forward to hopefully improving and being competitive with the rest of the world.”https://floridagators.com/” — Smith after winning the 400 free at the trials.
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