Former Mizzou Swimmer Clement Secchi wins bronze medal at the Paris Olympics

Former University of Missouri swimmer Clement Secchi conquered the podium on Sunday morning in the 4x100 medley relay. Representing the host nation of France, the team placed third in their relay, taking home a bronze medal.

The former Mizzou swimmer represented his nation in the third leg of the preliminary race, helping lead them to the fastest overall time in qualifying. Although Secchi did not swim in the final, France finished third, behind China (gold) and the United States (silver). According to Olympic rules, you don't need to swim in the final to be awarded a medal; participation in the preliminaries still makes you eligible.

Earlier in the week, Secchi competed in the 100m Butterfly event. In the preliminary round, he finished 15th overall with a time of 51.62 seconds. In the semi-finals, he improved his time by 0.04 seconds, finishing with a time of 51.58 seconds, which was good for 14th overall. This finish was the second best of all time for a Missouri swimmer at the Olympics.

Secchi swam for just one season at Mizzou (2022/23), but he made a significant impact on the program in his short stint. Secchi ranks among the top five in school history for several events, including the 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, and 200m backstroke. When Secchi competed at the SEC Championships, he won the 200m butterfly with a time of 1:41.07.

At the age of 24, Secchi still has a bright future ahead of him. After capturing his first medal in 2024, there is no doubt that he'll push to be back in the 2028 Olympics. His butterfly stroke is incredibly impressive, and he will look to capitalize on every opportunity he's given. The Frenchman will be interesting to watch as his career continues to develop.