In his attempt to become the first Aruban medalist, Mikel Schreuders fell just short this past week at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The former Mizzou swimmer competed in both the 50-meter and the 100-meter freestyle events. The three-time Olympian missed the cut in the preliminaries of both races and was unable to qualify for the semifinals. He fell short by a mere 0.2 and 0.4 seconds, respectively.
After a dominant college career that included a 200m freestyle SEC championship and two All-American First Team honors, the Aruban flag bearer hasn't been able to replicate his success at the Olympics.
What's next for Schreuders?
With this being Schreuders' third Olympics and having little success so far, how many more times can we expect to see him compete at an international level? The 25-year-old has improved his placement with each Olympics but has yet to make it to a semifinal. Despite his limited international success, the Aruban national will be expected to work even harder if he wants to compete again for a medal.
Does Mizzou have a medal in them?
There are three Mizzou athletes in the Olympics this year. Joining Schreuders is fellow swimmer Clement Secchi and cross country runner Karissa Schweizer. Secchi suffered a similar result as Schreuders. Representing France, he fell short of qualifying and was eliminated in the 100-meter butterfly semifinal on Friday afternoon.
There is still hope for a Mizzou athlete to bring back a medal at the Paris games. An American runner, Karissa Schweizer, qualified for the 5000-meter final early Friday morning. The former SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year will compete in the 5000-meter final on Monday, August 5th, at 2 PM.
This is her second appearance in the Olympic games and she'll be the final Mizzou athlete with an opportunity to take home some hardware.