Former LSU Athletes took home eight Olympic medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics last month—three gold, four silver and one bronze.
Following their success, we caught up with a few of the Tiger medalists to learn about their Olympic experiences and see how they’re spending time in the offseason. Each athlete shared their LSU pride and spoke of how their time spent training in Baton Rouge helped prepare them for competition on the world stage.
Here’s what they had to say. Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.
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Brooks Curry
•Silver Medalist in Men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay
•Earned gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games
Can you describe the feeling of winning silver for your country?
It was really special for me to be in Paris and to be able to win silver. It was a lot of work throughout the year and it finally was paying off, to get an award like that, was extremely rewarding. It’s just a huge weight, like, wow I did it.
How did your time at LSU prepare you for the Olympics?
The college schedule of traveling around to different meets definitely prepared me for the Olympics. I remember one meet where we arrived at 2 a.m. and I was swimming at 8 a.m. It was just a really really fast turnaround, so things like that where everything goes wrong helped me prepare for moments like the Games.
How do you like to unwind and relax in the offseason?
Right after Paris, I went to Italy with my girlfriend for a nice trip. I’m about to head back to Berkeley, but typically I like to travel around for a little bit to go see some family for a break or vacation.
What would you say to aspiring athletes who want to compete in the Olympics one day?
Stick with the sport for as long as you can. It’s a very difficult sport, and if you can get over wanting to walk away and instead just keep putting in consistent work, you’re gonna be better than everybody else. Staying determined and working hard is the way that you’ll make it in this type of sport.
Juan Celaya-Hernandez
•Silver medalist in Men’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard
Can you describe the feeling of winning silver for Mexico?
It was amazing. When I came out of the water, the first thing that came to mind was, we did it. That moment was what I dreamt of. It was a dream come true. Hands down it was the best competition I ever had in my career.
How did your time at LSU prepare you for the Olympics?
I definitely had a bunch of meets, so that helped me figure out who I was as a person and competitor. I learned how to trust the process. All of the early mornings and disappointments I had to go through and the mentors helped me become the person I am today. … I wouldn’t be an Olympian or Olympic medalist without my experience at LSU.
How do you like to unwind and relax in the offseason?
Right now it’s been hectic. I just came from Italy and landed in Mexico City. (There’s been a lot of) coverage from the media and taking on all the responsibility of being an Olympic medalist. Meeting people, being recognized and having people want to take photos with me has been something I’ve had to get used to.
What would you say to aspiring athletes who want to compete in the Olympics one day?
Just the truth, which is that it’s not an easy journey—it’s hard. You have to wake up whether you’re feeling motivated or not. You have to focus on your goal and follow it all the way through. Don’t let all the hard times or negative feedback get to your head. … If you can dream it, you can make it.
Vernon Norwood
•Gold medalist in Men’s 4×400 Relay (Olympic Records)
•Silver medalist in Mixed 4×400 Meter Relay (World Record in Heat)
•Earned gold and bronze medals in the 2020 Tokyo Games
Can you describe the feeling of winning gold and silver for your country?
It was a huge honor. I was really excited and happy for the recognition that we deserved in being able to compete for our country on the highest level. I still feel a bit in shock about how everything went down. The talent that we had to showcase to the world was phenomenal and a feeling I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
What pushed you to compete and persevere?
My family, friends, coaches, everyone from back home pushed me forward, but to get deeper, I would say the youth. The younger generation that wants to be the next me or the next Olympic athlete pushes me to be an inspiration to them. For me to be on that platform and perform that well for someone else to see meant a lot because I want to be a great representation for the next generation. That always inspires and motivates me to be the best version of myself, not just as an athlete but as a person.
How did your time at LSU prepare you for the Olympics?
Being at LSU and training there was the set-up for greatness. Training there is training your mind and body to be on that stage. … Putting on the LSU jersey is no different than putting on a USA jersey.
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What would you say to aspiring athletes who want to compete in the Olympics one day?
My main advice is to try to understand yourself before you try to do something that you don’t know how to do. You’re not gonna get very far at anything in life or any sport if you’re not disciplined, working hard, and dedicated to your craft. You have to find out what works for you and your max to be able to push yourself to the next level. The main thing is to be dedicated, humble and disciplined.