In late June, Emily Hamill ‘25 and Landon D’Ariano ‘24 qualified for the Olympic team trials during the Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hamill qualified for the 100m and 200m backstroke events and D’Ariano qualified for the 200m and 400m individual medley events.
The Olympic Trial events will be held in June 2024 in Indianapolis. During this meet, there will be a preliminary round where the top sixteen times will qualify to move on to the next stage. Depending on the event, the top sixteen times will qualify for the semi-final or final rounds. After these rounds, the top two swimmers from each event’s final will be selected for the USA Olympic team.
“A very small percentage of the athletes in our sport ever achieve what they’ve achieved,” Head Coach of GA swimming Jeff Thompson said. “I think it’s less than a tenth of a percent of the athletes that have ever achieved what they have done. So, it’s a pretty special accomplishment.”
Consistency and quality of work are key to both Hamill and D’Ariano’s success. Additionally, the community that surrounds them elevates them to their best selves.
“They work really hard. They’re consistent. And I think that consistency, day in and day out, with their training intensity and their focus combine to make them successful,” Coach Thompson said. “They’ve got great teammates and support, it would be really difficult for them to do it by themselves.”
“Being surrounded by amazing coaches and teammates really helps me every day,” D’Ariano said. “It’s not hard to want to be good when you’re surrounded by people who motivate you that much. I also really do not like to lose.”
Both D’Ariano and Hamill highlight how committed and invested Coach Thompson is in their success as individuals, not just swimmers. Qualifying for the Olympic trials has been a dream of Hamill and D’Ariano’s for a long time.
“I wrote it down on a sticky note and put it on my bulletin board. It means so much,” D’Ariano said. “When I just started swimming, if you told me I would qualify for the trials I would have laughed in your face. I remember there was a time when junior Olympic cuts seemed out of reach. It means so much for me to not only get one event but two events for the Olympic trials. It’s awesome!”
“It really is a dream come true. I have given up a lot to get to this point,” Hamill said. “It’s nice to see that all the early A.M. swims, time in the gym, and late nights doing homework have paid off.”
Looking ahead, D’Ariano will continue his swimming career after GA at the University of Texas Austin, where he hopes to eventually represent the USA at an international level.
Like D’Ariano, Hamill wants to swim for a top college and qualify for both the Junior Nationals and the Olympics. Hamill also would simply like to give back to the swimming community.
“Someday, I would love to give back to my community by coaching,” Hamill said. “Most of all I would like to continue the friendships and relationships that I have made through swimming. Swimming is a tight-knit community full of amazing people. It has been a privilege and true honor to be a part of it.”
Both Hamill and D’Ariano put in a lot of effort to reach Indianapolis, and it has paid off. With this work ethic, they have a bright future ahead of them.