Drew Kibler brings home Carmel’s first Olympic swim medal

The REPORTER

Drew Kibler has delivered the first-ever swimming Olympic medal to Carmel.

The 2018 Carmel High School graduated and University of Texas national champion was part of the United States’ Men’s 4×200 freestyle relay team that won a silver medal Tuesday at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kibler joined Luke Hobson, Carson Foster and Kieran Smith, with the team finishing in a time of 7 minute, 0.78 seconds.

Great Britain won the gold medal in 6:59.43, while Australia took the bronze medal in 7:01.98.

Kibler swam the third leg of the relay, keeping the American team in second place by completing his leg in 1:45.12. Smith anchored the relay, and his split of 1:44.80 clinched the silver medal.

The U.S. team qualified for the finals by placing second in the preliminaries earlier in the day. The Americans finished their prelim in 7:05.57, which means they dropped nearly five seconds from that round to the final. Kibler was the leadoff man in the prelims; he swam his split in 1:46.43.

In earlier action:

– Carmel’s Aaron Shackell made the finals of the Men’s 400 freestyle last Saturday, where he finished eighth with a time of 3:47.00. Shackell qualified for the eight-man final by placing sixth in the preliminaries with a time of 3:45.45.

– Noblesville’s Luke Whitlock, swimming for Fishers Area Swimming Tigers, placed 15^th in the Men’s 800 freestyle, clocking in at 7:49.26.

– Carmel’s Alex Shackell will swim in the second heat of the Women’s 200 butterfly event this morning at 5:46 a.m. Indiana time.