Olympian Jake Mitchell to Transfer from Michigan to Florida

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Olympic swimmer Jake Mitchell has announced he will transfer to the University of Florida.

The sophomore at Michigan was an All-American and two-time Big Ten champion for the Wolverines.

The NCAA Championships did not go as well as expected for Mitchell and the Wolverines, but he is looking for a fresh start at Florida, training with fellow distance and mid-distance freestylers like Kieran Smith and Bobby Finke.

“Very excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and swimming careers at the University of Florida! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. Go Gators!” Jake Mitchell posted on Instagram.

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Jake Mitchell’s signature moment so far in his career was his performance at the Olympic trials, where after missing out on an A cut in the 400 free, he swam a time trial at the meet alone and reached the standard to qualify for the team.

Mitchell swam in the pool alone in front of the remaining crowd on night three of the Trials as he took the race out much, much quicker, turning three seconds quicker than his finals swim at 1:49.86 at the 200, where he was a 1:52.9. Mitchell was also under world record pace at this point and he kept rolling at the 300, flipping at 2:47, which was quicker than where the original winner Kieran Smith was at that point in the 400 finals race, and four seconds faster than where himself (2:51.6). Mitchell started to show signs of fatigue, splitting a 29.13 on the seventh 50, as the pace started to catch up to him. But on the final 50, with the crowd roaring, Mitchell touched at 3:45.86, splitting a 28.84 on the final 50, to swim under the FINA A cut and grab a spot on the US Olympic team.

It was a shocking development in the men’s 400 freestyle final at the US Olympic Trials in Omaha where only one swimmer got under the FINA A cut of 3:46.78. Questions began murmuring around the pool deck over whether second place finisher Jake Mitchell of the University of Michigan and Carmel Swim Club would be able to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.

Jake Mitchell’s 3:48.0 in the original 400 free final on Sunday was deemed not quick enough to race in Tokyo and a time trial needed to be swum where he had to go faster than 3:46.78. The top ten swimmers, minus the winner Kieran Smith, would be eligible for the time trial, but since Mitchell finished runner-up, he had first dibs at the time trial.

Now, he and Smith will be training together.

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