REPTON SCHOOL SWIMMER SELECTED FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
Repton School swimmer Eva Okaro has made history this week as she is selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for Team GB.
At 17 years-old, Eva will be one of the youngest competitors at the games and is currently studying for her A Levels. She is the first ever Olympic swimmer from Repton School, demonstrating the stratospheric rise of Repton Swimming since its inception in 2019. Eva will be the first black woman to represent GB in the pool at the Olympics and only the fourth black swimmer to make a British Olympics team.
Eva secured her position in the squad after competing at the Aquatics GB Championships alongside 22 other members of Repton Swimming Club. At the beginning of the week, she set a personal best time of 24.96 in the Women’s 50m Freestyle to win a Silver Medal, behind 28 year- old Olympic and World medallist, Anna Hopkin. Eva went on to win another Silver Medal in the 100m Freestyle setting a personal best of 54.46 and was within the top four finishers for the relay selection.
At the end of 2023, Eva won gold in the 4x100m Freestyle at the Ontario Junior International and set a new European Junior record time in the 4x100m Mixed Medley. She has previously represented Great Britain and England at junior level, at several international meets.
Repton’s Director of Swimming Ash Morris congratulated Eva, saying: “This is a proud moment for Repton - Eva is the first ever swimming pupil to qualify for an Olympic Games. At just 17 years old, this is a remarkable achievement and a testament to Eva’s race mindset and competitive nature. We are really proud of Eva and the environment that has been developed to support athletes to achieve their goals.”
With experienced coaches and extensive facilities, Repton’s swimming club is amongst the best in the country with the ability to offer a world-class training programme alongside a world-class education. The most promising swimmers have pool sessions supported by specialist Strength and Conditioning coaches twice a week and access to a bespoke S&C Gym in the Sports Clinic to aid physical progress and rehabilitation.
Congratulations to the following Repton School pupils who also competed at the Aquatics GB Championships in a range of strokes and distances: Annabel Crees, Austyn Manley, Cameron Jamieson, Connie Palmer, Ellie Broughton, Hannah Capron, Hannah Hodgkiss, Harriet Oxley, Holly Marshall, Holly Robinson, Izabella Okaro, Jessica Smelt, Laurie Devine, Leo Pollock, Lydia Cordle, Mabli Collyer, and Maddie Emment.
Austyn Manley (13) was the youngest male swimmer at the Aquatics GB Championships and he came away with a new British Age Group Record of 2:07.62 in the 200m Backstroke.
Repton has a long history with the Olympics and many alumni have gone on to compete in the Games. Undoubtedly the most famous of Repton’s Olympians is Harold Abrahams who competed in the 1920 Antwerp Games and the 1924 Paris Games, as well as captaining the British team in 1928. In more recent time, the greatest Olympic success for our alumni has been on the hockey field. Charlotte Craddock competed in the 2008 Beijing Games as part of the women’s hockey squad. Georgie Twigg won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics and Gold in the 2016 Rio games, alongside Repton alumna Shona McCallin. Shona also won Bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games alongside Leah Wilkinson.
Eva is the first Reptonian to compete in the Olympics whilst still at Repton since Charlotte Craddock in 2008, and we wish her the very best for the upcoming Games.
For more information on Repton Swimming click here.
