After spending time training with his home club in Spain, Spanish Olympian Hugo Gonzalez is reportedly joining the California Golden Bears in January. It is not yet clear when he will begin competing on the NCAA schedule.
According to Nataccion, Gonzalez will resume his studies at Cal and join the men’s swimming program under Head Coach Dave Durden.
Prior to returning home, Gonzalez was named 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year based on his performances at Auburn University. He competed at the 2018 NCAA Championships, and would have been one of the nation’s fastest returners headed into the 2018-19 season.
Gonzalez would have been the second-fastest 400 IMer coming into this season behind reigning National Champion Abrahm DeVine of Stanford. He was a 3:35.76 at SECs in the 400 IM, which puts him third all-time in the event behind Chase Kalisz (3:33.42) and DeVine (3:35.29). He would also be among the top six returners in the in the 200 back (1:39.05) and 200 IM (1:40.67).
After these Championships in March, Gonzalez announced his transfer to Virginia Tech in June, following newly appointed Head Coach Sergio Lopez. Three months later, he was not on the Virginia Tech roster for this season. He has not participated in any NCAA competitions since NCAAs.
“Hugo was initially enrolled in school, but shortly after the start of the semester he made the decision to return home,” Lopez told Swimming World at the time. “He is training with his club and thinking about what he will do next. I am sad to see him leave, but we have an amazing personal relationship, and I support him and his decision. He is not just a talented swimmer, but a very good person too.”
Since his return home, Gonzalez has raced at the Budapest stop of the FINA Swimming World Cup and the recent FINA Short Course World Championships in Hangzhou.
Swimming World will update this story as more information becomes available.
Nataccion.com contributed to this report.
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Why did he leave Virginia Tech??
Gian Alessandro he never went. Said he was going to go, then opted to go back to spain to train.