Carson Foster to Turn Pro, Forego Remaining Eligibility at Texas
Carson Foster will turn pro, forgoing his remaining eligibility at the University of Texas, the swimmer announced Thursday.
Foster has competed for the Longhorns for three years, helping them win a national championship in 2021 and finish as runner-up in 2022. They were third in 2023. He made the announcement on social media.
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Foster wrote, in part:
My time competing as a Longhorn has been one of the greatest experiences and honors of my life and I am so excited for this next chapter in my journey. … @texasmsd , you have truly blessed me with a second family. Hook ‘em forever”
Foster will remain in Austin to train for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Foster anchored Texas to gold medals in the 800 free relay all three years, the last an NCAA and U.S. Open record. Foster went 9-for-9 in A finals at NCAAs in his college career though he never ascended to the top step of the podium. He was second in the 400 individual medley as a freshman and in the 200 backstroke as a sophomore to go with third-place results in the 400 IM as a sophomore and junior. All told, it’s 13 All-American honors for Foster, and he leaves his Austin undergraduate days at the school-record holder in the 400 IM at 3:33.79. He also won 15 Big 12 championships (nine individual) and was the conference’s two-time Swimmer of the Meet.
The 21-year-old is coming off a stellar FINA World Championships last summer in Budapest, in which he won silver in the 200 and 400 IM. He was also part of the American 800 free relay that won gold. He’s a medal contender in both IMs against an aging field of veterans, like Jay Litherland and Chase Kalisz, who are still swimming at a high level. Foster finished third in the 400 IM at Olympic Trials in 2021, then swam the fastest time in the world that summer in Austin at 4:08.46, quicker than the time Kalisz used (4:09.42) to win gold in Tokyo.
Good luck! In my opinion, he will do well at LC.