Every four years, the Summer Olympics come around, and I relive the same cycle. I spend weeks entranced by the world’s greatest athletic spectacle, sitting in front of my television at random hours of the day, biting my nails over a sport I discovered just hours ago. I get overly invested in the competitors, their life stories and their quest to achieve the glory they have been dreaming of since they could walk.

Eventually, when the Games end, I promise myself to continue to follow my new favorite sports — which I have devoted countless hours to in such a short period of time. I do research and plan how I am going to watch the Gymnastics World Championships and the track and field Diamond League. But, you probably guessed it by now, it never happens. When fall comes around, I inevitably trade in canoe slalom for football and beach volleyball for basketball — my summer preoccupations a thing of the past.

But this time, I am determined to follow through. Luckily enough, going to a school with as prestigious an Olympic legacy as USC, it is easy to do so without even leaving campus.

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

During the Paris Games, I was most engrossed by swimming. It is difficult to put into words just how electrifying it was when Leon Marchand entered the pool at La Defense Arena. Parisian crowds that could be mistaken for fans at a rock concert aside, the sport itself is incredibly exciting to watch, which is why it is unfortunate the successful USC swim & dive programs don’t get more love from Trojan fans and media. 

Swimming lacks coverage and support at USC for several reasons. To name a few, the teams spend a lot of time on the road, their meets are long and the format can be difficult for fans to follow — it is not as easy to track what the Trojans need to do to win in the pool as it might be during a game at the Coliseum. 

But unlike Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s much-maligned football team, the swim & dive programs are off to a great start this season, and I thought it was time for a check-in. This will kill two birds with one stone: Fans can get an update on a team that is not vastly underperforming expectations and I can finally follow through on my post-Olympic resolutions.

The men’s and women’s swimming squads are led by Head Coach Lea Maurer, an Olympic gold medalist in her third year leading the Trojans. Last season, Maurer led the women’s team to its first-ever undefeated regular season — eventually finishing eighth at the NCAA championships. 

The men’s team had a more turbulent campaign, finishing 22nd nationally after a 2-5 regular season — which included a 208-92 drubbing at the hands of Marchand and eventual national champions Arizona State. 

This year, as the Trojans prepare to dive into their first Big Ten campaign, both squads are off to impressive 2-0 starts. On Friday, USC hosted some familiar foes at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center: former Pacific-12 rival Arizona, who now competes in the Big 12.

Last season, the Trojans split with Arizona, as the men’s team suffered a narrow 155-145 defeat in Tucson, but this year both Trojan squads were able to take down the Wildcats.

The men’s team, led by All-American sophomore Krzysztof Chmielewski, took a commanding 169.5-130.5 victory. Chmielewski claimed three events: the 200-yard butterfly, the 500-yard freestyle and the 1000-yard freestyle — flying to the sixth-fastest time in the country so far this season in the latter event. 

His twin brother, sophomore Michal Chmielewski, also played a significant role in the victory. Michal, more of a sprinter, claimed a victory in the 100-yard backstroke and finished second in the 100-yard butterfly.

The brothers both became Olympians this summer, representing Poland at the Paris Games. Kryzystof came agonizing close to snagging a medal, finishing fourth in the 200-meter butterfly — just behind Marchand, Hungarian world record holder Kristof Milak and Canadian Ilya Kharun. Falling 1.1 seconds short of an Olympic medal at the age of 20, Kryzystof is an absolute superstar in the pool for Maurer and the Trojans.

On the women’s side, USC continued its dominance over Arizona — cruising to a 193-107 victory. The Trojans are led by sophomore Minna Abraham, who was named Pacific-12 Women’s Freshman Swimmer of the Year in 2023-24. Already an Olympian at 18, Abraham’s star shone brightly Friday. She took first in three events, most notably torching the Wildcats en route to a 1:42:01 time in the 200-yard freestyle, the fastest effort in the country this season. 

USC also completely swept the 200-yard butterfly, as junior Justina Kozan, senior Genevieve Sasseville, freshman Alexa Wong and freshman Isabella Schneider led the Trojans to a 1-2-3-4 finish. 

The Trojans’ impressive starts have not gone unnoticed. The women’s team is currently ranked No. 9 in Division I swimming, and the men’s squad is sitting at No. 21. The true test will come next week when the Trojans head to Austin to take on Texas. The Longhorns, whose men’s and women’s teams are both ranked No. 2, are led by swimming legend Bob Bowman — who famously has led Marchand and Michael Phelps, as well as many others, to a few gold medals. 

But Maurer’s squads also have depth and Olympic pedigree. The Trojans are putting up times that indicate they can compete with anyone in the country, and their battles with the Longhorns will only prepare them for the grueling season ahead. 

So, if you also enjoyed the scenes from La Defense Arena this summer, take in those from the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center next week — as the Trojans look to make a statement on the national stage. 

Henry Mode is a sophomore writing about underappreciated Trojan athletes and storylines in his column, “Below the Fold,” which runs every other Wednesday. He is also a sports editor at the Daily Trojan.