Olympians expected to make highlight as Universiade swimming kicks off

Swimming at the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games will feature several student-athletes who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

High-profile coaches who have been behind some of biggest stars will also be part of the Games.

Team USA will see Olympians Emma Lebron Weber and Jacob Ryan Mitchell as well as world junior mixed and women's relay gold medalist Maxine Charlize Parker in the pool.

Olympians Julie Brousseau, Patrick Hussey and Emma O'Croinin will be the shepherds for Canada.

Canada's Ashley McMillan will be on the chase for medals having made the final in the 200m individual medley at the 2024 world championships.

Britain will have a strong presence in the 100m breaststroke with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Archie Goodburn in the squad.

Loughborough's Fleur Lewis will be on the medal hunt in the 800m freestyle after breaking an 18-year-old British short-course record in the 1,500m freestyle at the BUCS Championships 2023.

With the World Aquatics Championships beginning immediately after the opening of the FISU Games, many student-athletes will be heading straight from Berlin to Singapore.

Among them is Paige Van Der Westhuizen from Zimbabwe, who studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland.

"I'm feeling good," she said. "Having the World University Games just before the World Aquatics Championships will be tough, but I'm excited."

Swimming Australia's head coach Rohan Taylor, who had coached Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Leisel Jones, said that the FISU Games will also help provide an incentive to keep student-athletes in their sport.

"Athletes often face a crossroads that can end their careers," Taylor said on Thursday. "They think they have to choose between university and a professional career of swimming."

"The World University Games provide an incentive for athletes to continue developing both paths by keeping them in the sport longer."