MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – Penn State men's swimmer Gabe Castaño was named to the Mexican Olympic Men's Swimming team as announced Monday and will race in the 50 free at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The announcement comes just one day after he achieved the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) A standard with his 22.01 time and lowered his Mexican national record in a time trial Sunday Marguerite Aquatics Center in Mission Viejo, California.
The third Penn State men's swimmer and fifth Nittany Lion from the swimming and diving programs to be named an Olympian, Castaño joins Eugene Botes (South Africa), Shane Ryan (Ireland), Jane Barkman Brown (United States) and Mary Ellen Clark (United States) to earn that distinction.
The 2020 Olympic Games, which were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, begin Friday, July 23. Castaño is scheduled to compete in the 50 freestyle heats Friday, July 30, in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Castaño lowered his 50 free Mexican national record by winning the event at the Swim Meet of Champions Saturday evening (22.06). He slashed another .05 off his previous best to qualify for the Olympic Games Sunday. Castaño also swam the lead leg on Mexico's record-setting 4x100m freestyle relay at the Pan American Games in 2019.
The Nittany Lion ranks in the top five of two individual events at Penn State, second in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth on the 100-yard freestyle chart. He was a 2021 NCAA Championships participant as a member of Nittany Lions' record-setting 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams. He earned honorable-mention All-America status as part of the 200 freestyle relay and finished 26th in the individual 50 freestyle event.
Stay up to date with the Nittany Lions by following our social media pages on Facebook (Penn State Swimming & Diving), Instagram (@Pennstateswimdive) and Twitter (@pennstateswim).
