The University of Missouri will have three athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mikel Schreuders was first to take the stage, swimming in the 100m Freestyle on Tuesday morning. The former Mizzou star won his heat with a time of 48.84 seconds but did not qualify for the semi-finals.
Schreuders will be back on Thursday, August 1st, to compete in the 50m Freestyle. The three-time Olympian will aim to improve on his performance from today, where he missed qualification by just 0.4 seconds.
The other two athletes from Mizzou set to join Schreuders are Clement Secchi and Karissa Schweizer. Secchi will compete for France in the 100m Butterfly on Friday, August 2nd. This will be his first Olympic appearance after recently graduating in 2023. Meanwhile, Schweizer will represent the USA in both the 1000m and 5000m long-distance runs. This will be her second appearance in the Olympics.
The Tigers will be in action at the Olympic Games beginning tomorrow morning 🌟 #MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/dDSA57OqRD
— Mizzou Athletics (@MizzouAthletics) July 30, 2024
How did Schreuders reach this point?
The Aruban athlete has been swimming his entire life. Schreuders took up the sport early on, competing in multiple junior events between 2012 and 2015. The summer before he started his freshman year in Columbia, Missouri, Schreuders represented Aruba at the 2016 Olympic Games.
When Schreuders arrived on campus, he dominated in his freshman year, earning numerous accolades, including three wins in the 200m Freestyle. Whether in team relays or individual competitions, Schreuders played a pivotal role in bringing home a ton of hardware for Mizzou.
Throughout his time at Mizzou, Schreuders consistently impressed. In 2018, he won an SEC Championship in the 200m Freestyle. That same year, he also secured a top-10 finish in the NCAA Championship race.
It's remarkable how much Schreuders has accomplished in his career at just twenty-five years old. The Aruban phenom may still have another Olympic appearance ahead of him, as his journey is far from over, and he looks to do what no Aruban athlete has ever done.
Aruba has never won a medal at the Olympics, and Schreuders would love to make history. He is one of just six athletes representing his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics. You can catch his next race on Thursday, August 1st, at around 4:15 AM, when he competes in the 50m Freestyle.