The inevitable wave of swimmers prioritizing long-course training for the Paris 2024 Olympics over the 2023-24 NCAA season in short-course yards is hitting the Ohio State men particularly hard.
German backstroke specialist Cornelius Jahn would have filled a critical gap for the Buckeyes next season, but he told SwimSwam that he will defer his enrollment until the 2024-25 season as he aims to qualify for the German Olympic team headed to Paris next summer. Jahn was initially announced as one of seven signees for Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class back in November.
“I am going to try the qualification for the German Olympic team and for that I am staying one more year in Hamburg, Germany,” Jahn said. “I will then join the Ohio State University for the 2024-25 season.”
Jahn won the 200-meter backstroke at April’s Berlin Swim Open with a personal-best time of 1:59.06 before earning a runner-up finish in the 200 back at July’s German National Championships (2:00.30). His lifetime best was within a second of the 2023 World Championships ‘A’ cut (1:58.07) and not far off the Paris 2024 Olympics ‘A’ standard of 1:57.50. He also placed 2nd in the 100 back at April’s Berlin Swim Open (54.09) before placing 5th at July’s German Nationals (55.39). His best time is just a few tenths away from the Olympic ‘A’ cut (53.74).
Best Times (LCM)
- 50 back – 24.99
- 100 back – 54.09
- 200 back – 1:59.06
Best Times (SCM)
- 50 back – 24.82
- 100 back – 53.10
- 200 back – 1:55.35
Best Times (Converted from LCM to SCY using SwimSwam’s Classic Converter)
- 50 back – 21.97
- 100 back – 47.64
- 200 back – 1:45.09
2023 NCAA Scoring Range
- 100 back – 45.54
- 200 back – 1:40.75
Jahn will spend the next year training under coach Tobias Muller in Hamburg, Germany.
The news of Jahn’s deferment comes after the Buckeyes already lost their top backstroke and butterfly specialists for next season. Alex Quach is preparing for the Olympics back home in Australia, fellow Aussie James Ward had two appeals for eligibility relief denied by the NCAA, and Thomas Watkins opted to move home to New Zealand instead of use his fifth year in Columbus.
The exodus leaves rising senior Jean-Pierre Khouzam as their fastest returner in both the 100 back (47.58) and 100 fly (45.94). Fortunately, Chachi Gustafson is coming back for a fifth year as the second-fastest returner in the 100 back (47.72) and 100 fly (46.34).
Ohio state diving and swimming is screwed this year
Well… it’s not like he’s trying for the 1500. So it shouldn’t be too hard to make the team.
If a 24,99 LCM 50 back equates ta a 21,97 SCY 50, then Seeliger with his 20,27 should be able to hit 23-low. Come on…
Guessing these are converted using the “NCAA conversion” multipliers or something, which are WAY off: NCAA yards times converted to the “equivalent” long course times end up being way faster LCM than SCY.
Actually seems like I’m wrong. The 100 back multiplier is 0.835, so that times 24.99 is 20.87. That seems a bit more in line.
Oh well they have a link to the converter in the article, so there you go
54.0 100 back is not a 47.6 scy 😭😭😭