Wilmington, Delaware, January 4, 2021 – The YMCA of Delaware is pleased to announce that Tommy Janton, competitive swimmer and member of the Western YMCA Wahoos Swim Team, has recently qualified for the 2021 Olympic Trials in the 100 yard and 200 yard backstroke events.
Janton started swimming at age 7 and has been swimming with the Y’s Western Wahoos since 2016. Training 16 hours each week, Tommy is seeing the payoff of his passion and hard work. “This has been a dream of mine and I am so excited about this achievement. I am grateful for my teammates and coaches who have encouraged me along the way, especially my dad, who has been coaching me since I was 11 years old,” said Tommy Janton.
Tommy has been able to share his swimming experience with his father Tom Janton who has been coaching the Western Wahoo’s since 2016. “I couldn’t be more proud of my son. It has been a joy to see him grow and understand what is required to be an elite athlete. He works hard every day to prepare physically and mentally. Plus, he embodies the values of the Y, serving as a role model for others on his team,” said Tom Janton, Western Y Wahoos National and Junior National Coach.
Tommy qualified for Olympic Trials at the Toyota US Open Championships held in Richmond, Virginia. He achieved his first qualifying event in the 200 yard backstroke and even exceeded the required qualifying time by 1.6 seconds. Over the course of the entire weekend, Tommy placed second in the 200 backstroke, third in the 100 backstroke, and 11th in the 100 butterfly among all athletes swimming at the Richmond location. Olympic Trials will be held June 13-20, 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska.
“We are so excited for Tommy Janton and wish him the best in the Olympic Trials. During these tough times, I am pleased that our Y has been able to successfully offer activities and programs safely for our youth, providing a sense of normalcy and accomplishment,” said Deborah Bagatta- Bowles, President and CEO of the YMCA of Delaware.
Competitive Swimming across the YMCA of Delaware has an impressive 50-year history of developing young athletes both in and out of the water. The four core values of the YMCA- honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility- are essential in the development of athletes and program participants, and are key components of all YMCA programs. Swimmers learn teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership skills throughout their swimming journey.
They YMCA is dedicated to ensuring all children have the opportunity and access to swim programs across Delaware. With pools at most Y locations across the state, the YMCA is positioned as the leader in Delaware for competitive swimming and learn to swim programs. To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate, financial assistance is available to those needing help to cover the costs. Families interested in learning more about Y swim programs should visit www.ymcade.org/programs/swim.