University of Tennessee Athletics
Toussaint Qualifies for Olympic Swimming
April 07, 2016 | Swimming & Diving
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands -- Tennessee junior Kira Toussaint won the 100-meter backstroke at the Eindhoven Swim Cup in a qualifying time Thursday to earn her place on the Netherlands' team this summer at the 2016 Olympics.
Toussaint took first in the national race by more than a second in 1 minute, 0.25 seconds, to precisely meet the FINA "A" qualifying standard time for the Rio Games. The time was a championship record and makes her the 2016 Dutch champion in the event.
A native of Amstelveen, Netherlands, Toussaint will be the first Tennessee women's swimmer or diver to compete in the Olympics while still an active member of the team. She will be the seventh member of the women's swimming and diving program to compete at the Olympics all time.
The Tennessee swimming and diving program has now produced 27 Olympians all-time and eight gold medal performances.
Olympics runs in the family for Toussaint. Her mother, Jolanda de Rover, represented the Netherlands three times during the 1980s and won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
TOUSSAINT'S JUNIOR YEAR: Toussaint joined the Tennessee squad after spending the first two years of her All-American collegiate career at Florida Gulf Coast. At her first SEC meet, she was part of three championship relay teams, and she broke the school-record in the 100-yard backstroke (50.85) and took second. She also placed eighth in the race at NCAAs.
UP NEXT: Tennessee could have more swimmers and divers qualify for the Games as more national trials are in the months ahead. The USA Swimming Olympic Trials is set for June 26 through July 3 at the Centurylink Center in Omaha, Neb. The USA Diving Olympic Trials is June 18-26 in Indianapolis.
