LSU swimming and diving is poised to make a big splash in the Olympic pool.
A total of six current and former Tigers are now qualified for the Paris Games with the addition of three more this week: former LSU swimmer and 2020 Olympic gold medalist Brooks Curry of the United States, current diver Helle Tuxen of Norway and current swimmer Sabrina Lyn of Jamaica.
They join three other Tigers heading to Paris: current men’s swimmers Jere Hribar of Croatia, Jovan Lekic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and former NCAA champion Maggie Mac Neil of Canada, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist.
One other former LSU athlete, diver Lizzie Cui of New Zealand, is expected to find out next week whether she will be heading to Paris for the women’s 3-meter springboard competition.
Curry, who won gold in Tokyo as a member of the U.S. men’s 4x100 freestyle relay team, was selected Monday to the U.S. 4x200 freestyle relay squad. A two-time NCAA champion, Curry competed for LSU from 2019-23 and is now part of the University of California’s postgraduate swimming training program.
Tuxen will compete on the 3-meter springboard, while Lyn swims in the women’s 50 freestyle. Hribar is qualified for the men’s 50 free, with Lekic in the men’s 400 free. Mac Neil will try to become the first woman to win gold in back-to-back Olympic 100-meter butterfly events and is also slated to swim for Canada in the 4x100 medley relay.
Curry, Lyn and Tuxen give LSU a total of 13 current and former athletes so far heading to the Paris Olympics, which begin July 26.
As the Olympic trials draw to a close, several other Louisiana athletes are trying to qualify for their respective U.S. teams.
Among them are world No. 1 high jumper JuVaughn Harrison, who will begin qualifying Thursday as the U.S. track and field trials resume in Eugene, Oregon. Also starting Thursday at the U.S. gymnastics trials in Indianapolis will be LSU signee Kaliya Lincoln.
LSU, Louisiana athletes qualified for Paris Olympics
Athletics
Mondo Duplantis (pole vault), Sweden
Sha’Carri Richardson (100 meters), USA
3x3 Basketball
Hailey Van Lith, USA
Beach volleyball
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, USA
Diving
Helle Tuxen (3-meter springboard), Norway
Gymnastics
Aleah Finnegan, The Philippines
Swimming
Brooks Curry (4x200 relay), USA
Jere Hribar (50 freestyle), Croatia
Jovan Lekic (400 free), Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sabrina Lyn (50 free), Jamaica
Maggie Mac Neil (100 butterfly, 4x100 medley relay), Canada
Tennis
Neal Skupski, (men’s doubles) Great Britain
Remaining U.S. Olympic trials
Track and field: Through Sunday, Eugene, Oregon
Gymnastics: Thursday-Sunday, Minneapolis