2022 World Champs gold medalist Drew Kibler has moved back to Indianapolis and resumed training with Carmel Swim Club under head coach Chris Plumb. Kibler graduated from the University of Texas this spring and declined to use his fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kibler confirmed to SwimSwam that he’s back training at Carmel Swim Club. SwimSwam has asked Kibler what led to his decision to go back to Carmel, but has not yet received a response. Plumb, however, did respond to SwimSwam’s request for comment, saying Kibler will be training with him “for the foreseeable future.”
During his time at Texas, Kibler won five NCAA titles, including the 200 free individually at the 2022 NCAAs this March. He also won national titles in the 400 free relay in 2022, and the 800 free relay in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Notably, the 2020 NCAA Championships were canceled due to the pandemic.
Outside of the NCAA, Kibler was on the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He swam on the prelims men’s 4×200 free relay, earning a spot on the finals relay with his swim. He split 1:45.51 on the second leg of the final relay, but the U.S. ultimately finished fourth, just 0.59 out from winning a medal.
He was even better this summer, qualifying for the U.S. World Champs team in the 4×200 free relay, as well as the individual 200 free. In the 200 free, Kibler advanced to finals, where he would swim his lifetime best of 1:45.01 to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium. Kibler then led off the U.S. men’s 4×200 free relay in 1:45.54, setting them up for their gold medal performance. He then swam on prelims of the U.S. 4×100 mixed free relay, helping the Americans qualify with the top seed for finals. Kibler didn’t swim on the finals relay, which finished third, but he still earned a bronze medal for his efforts on the morning relay.
Prior to his arrival at Texas, Kibler was one of the most successful U.S. junior swimmers of his class while training at Carmel Swim Club. He was on the U.S. Junior Pan Pacs teams in 2016 and 2018, winning nine medals between the two meets. Kibler won Jr Pan Pacs gold in five events in 2018, including the boys 100 free, 200 free, 4×100 free relay, 4×100 free relay, and 4×100 medley relay. He also won silver in the 50 free at those championships. In 2016, he won gold on the boys 4×100 free relay, silver in the 4×200 free relay, and bronze in the 200 free.
Kibler also won World Junior Championships silver in the boys 4×200 free relay at the 2017 Championships in his hometown of Indianapolis.
Kibler isn’t the only former Carmel swimmer to return to the club this year. At the beginning of the year, Michigan’s Wyatt Davis left school to return home and train at CSC with Plumb. While back at Carmel this spring and summer, Davis swam lifetime bests in five events, including the LCM 50, 100, and 200 free, as well as the LCM and SCY 100 fly. Davis has since returned to Michigan for the new school year.
Maybe he’ll upload more vlogs to his YT channel perhaps how that he’s back in IN.
Just feels odd like non swimming wise. Moving from Austin where there’s all his friends out of the pool and other people at similar points in their life as him to train with to suburban Indiana where I’m sure he’ll spend most of his days training with high school kids
My man!
Given his 48.2 and 1:45.0 this summer I figured he would be training pro at Texas for a little while longer. Best of luck to him, seems like a guy that can flourish anywhere, especially his hometown club
That’s 2022 World Champs relay gold medalist Drew Kibler. Popovici is king in the men’s 100 meter freestyle and the men’s 200 meter freestyle.
And you are the jester of an Internet forum
He’s the troll of internet
Is Kamminga single? Nvm, Seli is still my baby.
I believe they make the relay medals out of the same gold as the individual medals.
why are you like this
Rumor is Plumb is trying to start a pro group with Kibler as the big name draw.
Makes sense with how well Carmel athletes like the Shackells have been doing lately.
Well, its also not bad for Teenagers to have some relationships with young adults if its done right. I had a teacher friend in high school that was 25 when I was 15.
Smart move.
Why are more and more swimmers going back to swim with Carmel instead of their college teams? What unhealthy grasp does the head coach have over them? I’m not calling for an investigation, but this needs to be looked into.
He graduated college already. It’s his call
Perhaps training at their hometown club provides the swimmers the opportunity to reduce financial concerns and/or stress while increasing time spent with family.
I had similar thoughts. His sponsors would have to bump his endorsements significantly to afford Austin.
It’s called good coaching
Hi 👋🏼. Not sure why you are pathologizing this choice rather than wondering what X factor brings them back and drives the club and it’s swimmers’ success. Nothing unhealthy about what goes on at Carmel. Chris Plumb and the other coaches are innovative, supportive, motivating, and create a wonderful community with a record that speaks for itself.
It wouldn’t be wise to start a new program in an Olympic year.
One word home-cooked meals…
I mean – Jake Mitchell returned to Carmel to train in 2021 rather than staying at Michigan and made the Olympic team so…