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Sun Devil Swimming Update: Who is Tokyo Bound

by thesundevils.com
Jun 11, 2021

TOKYO, Japan -- Arizona native Jarod Arroyo will swim in the 200M IM and 400M IM events for Puerto Rico at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Friday, July 23 - Sunday, Aug. 8 on NBC Sports.

The redshirt freshman Arroyo has been training with Sun Devil head coach Bob Bowman at Pitchfork Aquatics during the shutdown. With the delay of the Olympics it allowed Arroyo the best opportunity for success.

The Puerto Rican isn't the only Sun Devil representing their respective country on the elite world stage. Alumna Fanny Teijonsalo will swim for Finland in the 50M freestyle while volunteer swimming coaches Allison Schmitt and Hali Flickinger will be in red, white and blue for Team USA.

Schmitt is a four-time gold medalist as she is headed into her fourth appearance at the Olympics. Closing out trials in June, Schmitt finished with a time of 1:56.79 in the 200 freestyle, which gives her a likely individual event in Tokyo as well as a spot on the 4x200 free relay.

Flickinger fell just short of a podium finish (seventh) in Rio de Janiero. At this year's U.S. Olympic Trials she slammed home a first place finish in the 400 IM. Flickinger finished in 4:37.79, just shy of her personal best time of 4:37.55 from earlier this year. In the 200M butterfly she set a new personal best time at 2:05:85 in her victory race. This time is the fastest ever in U.S. water and the second-fastest time in the world this year.

Wrapping up Sun Devil presence on the island is coach Bowman who was named a member of the USA Swimming coaching staff. Bowman led Team USA as head coach in 2016.  

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JAROD ARROYO, PUERTO RICO -- 200 IM & 400 IM
Jarod has yet to break records in a Sun Devil uniform, however in May at the Puerto Rico International Open he broke two Puerto Rican national records. In the 200 IM he swam 2:00.85 beating the national record of 2:00.91, his qualifying time placed him in a spot to attend the Olympics. He surpassed the national best during the 400 IM in a time of 4:16.63 while also chopping five seconds off his personal best. 

FANNY TEIJONSALO, FINLAND -- 50M Freestyle
Fanny has the second (22.13 on March 21, 2019), third (22.19 on Feb. 28, 2019) and seventh (22.29 on Feb. 28, 2019) in school history in the 50m freestyle and her 48.70 on March 23, 2019 is third best in the 100 freestyle, while 49.07 on Feb. 20, 2020 is seventh-best. Also has four of the top 10 Sun Devil scores in the 100 butterfly. She transferred to ASU from Florida Gulf Coast after the 2016-17 season.
 

 

ALLISON SCHMITT, UNITED STATES --
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Allison Schmitt is headed to a fourth Olympic Games in 2021. In her first Olympics in 2008, Schmitt won a bronze medal leading off the women's 4x200 free relay. At London 2012, Schmitt won gold individually in the 200 free and won golds on both the 4x100 and 4x200 free relays; she also took silver in the 400 free. In Rio, where she was named a team captain, Schmitt earned a gold medal in the 4x200 free relay and a silver as a prelims swimmers for the 4x100 free relay. 
 

HALI FLICKINGER, UNITED STATES -- 200M Butterfly & 400M IM
Hali Flickinger will compete in her second Olympics after finishing seventh in the 200m fly in 2016.

BOB BOWMAN, UNITED STATES -- Coaching Staff 
Hall of Famer Bob Bowman, who coached Michael Phelps to 28 Olympic medals (23 gold) over five Olympics from 2000-2016, was named to the staff for Tokyo after serving as the head coach in 2016. He was named Sun Devil head swimming coach in April of 2015. He also was an assistant Olympic coach in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and was the U.S. head men's coach at the 2007, 2009 and 2013 World Championships.
 

 

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