Carmel, Indiana, the 106,000-person city that calls itself SwimCity, is living up to the name coined by Mayor Sue Finkam: It is the only city with three hometown swimmers competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to SwimSwam, using USA Swimming parameters.
Drew Kibler, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, returns to the Games to swim in the 4×200 freestyle relay freestyle relay. The Carmel High School and University of Texas alumnus competed in the same event in Tokyo.
Siblings Aaron and Alex Shackell join him in Paris. Aaron, a 19-year-old rising sophomore who will attend the Texas next year, won the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials to qualify for the Games. He finished eighth in the final on Saturday night and is waiting to hear whether he’ll swim in the prelims of the 4×200 freestyle relay, according to the IndyStar.
Alex is a rising senior at Carmel High School. Though she’s just 17, she already has international experience, having won silver alongside Katie Ledecky in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
In the Olympics, she’ll compete in the 200-meter butterfly and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Carmel swim coach Chris Plumb is a coach of the U.S. Olympic team, in Paris with his longtime students.
They’re not the only athletes to represent both the U.S. and their hometown. Men’s doubles tennis player Rajeev Ram graduated from Carmel High School and will be in Paris for his second Olympic Games. He won silver alongside Venus Williams in the 2016 Rio mixed doubles.
Photo courtesy of Rob DeRocker
The city of Carmel is electrified, ready for their athletes to compete. The city temporarily renamed streets after each representative, including Plumb. In the midtown area, a big screen was installed into a plaza to allow community viewings of the events while free activities take place around. SunKing Brewery released SwimCity pint glasses.
It’s a celebration in Carmel as their athletes are set to compete for gold and glory.
Related: Welcome to SwimCity, USA: Carmel, Indiana has 14 swimmers in the Olympic qualifiers