These University of Michigan swimmers will represent Team USA at Tokyo Olympics

ANN ARBOR – Three current and former University of Michigan swimmers earned spots on the U.S. Olympic Team after strong finishes at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Rising senior Patrick Callan, rising sophomore Jake Mitchell and alumna Catie DeLoof will represent Team USA in Japan.

DeLoof, who graduated in 2019, earned a spot on the 100-meter freestyle relay team. She finished in fifth place with a time of 53.87 seconds. The Grosse Pointe native finished seventh in both the 100-meter backstroke and 50-meter freestyle events.

Rising sophomore Jake Mitchell qualified in the 400-meter freestyle. He finished second at the trials with a time of 3:45.86.

Rising senior Patrick Callan qualified for the 200-meter freestyle relay team. He finished sixth in the finals with a time of 1:46.49.

Meanwhile, rising junior Mariella Venter will be competing for South Africa at the games in the 4x100 medley relay.

Another international competitor, Wolverine Maggie MacNeil will represent Canada after finishing the 100-meter butterfly with a top time of 56.7 seconds.

The U.S. Olympic team is now training in Hawaii before heading to the Tokyo Aquatics Centre to compete from July 24-Aug. 1.

In other games news, U-M diving coach Mike Hilde has been selected to join the Team USA coaching staff.

Hilde will be joining U-M diving graduate assistant coach Michael Hixon, who will be representing Team USA in the three-meter synchronized dive. Hixon won a silver medal in the same event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He and NCAA champion Andrew Capobianco will be competing together in Tokyo after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials by more than 100 points.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to represent the USA as a coach for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said Hilde. “I am looking forward to this experience as a first-time Olympic coach and I am hoping the best for Michael Hixon as he competes on July 28.”