Meet the 2016 USA Olympic Swimming Team: Blake Pieroni

Meet 2016 US Olympian Blake Pieroni from Chesterton, Indiana. In the video Pieroni talks about how he was put into nearly every sport growing up, but continued success in swimming kept him in the sport over the others.  His dad swam in college so that was a big proponent of him staying in the sport. He talks about how he had his first breakout season at age 14, and qualified for the Junior National team at went to Dubai for Junior Worlds at 17. He also mentions how he thought his best shot of making the team was in the 200 free, but failed to make the final and was down on himself. After going into the 100 free with a positive mindset, he finished right on the number, 6, to qualify for the team. Sometimes he still can’t believe that race happened and he qualified.

After helping Chesterton High School to Indiana state titles in his junior and senior years Pieroni decided to go to school close to home, going to Indiana University. In his freshman year in 2014-15, Pieroni was named Big-10 Co-Freshman of the Year and finished 4th at NCAAs in the 200 free. This past NCAAs Pieroni finished 8th and 10th at NCAAs in the 200 and 100 free.

Pieroni’s international career began in 2013, where he won a bronze medal in the 800 free relay at the Junior World Championships in Dubai. The next year he won three medals at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, winning gold in the 800 free relay and silver in both the 100 and 200 freestyle.

At the Olympic Trials this year Pieroni placed 6th in the 100 freestyle in a best of 48.78 to qualify for the 400 free relay in Rio. He had a disappointing swim in the 200 free earlier in the meet, failing to make the final, but rallied to come back and qualify in what he considers his second best event.