Speedo Adds Kieran Smith to Roster of Sponsored College Athletes
Speedo USA announced on Wednesday that it has added Kieran Smith to its list of sponsored athletes.
The news, posted to the company’s official Instagram account, welcomed both Kieran Smith and Regan Smith (no relation) to their roster. Regan Smith had announced that news in August, before starting her freshman year at Stanford University.
View this post on Instagram
Smith is a senior at the University of Friday. The native of Ridgefield, Conn., won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 400 freestyle. He finished sixth in the men’s 200 free with a personal-best time of 1:45.07. He was also part of the American men’s 800 free relay that finished a disappointing fourth, a half-second off the podium.
Smith owns the American and NCAA records in the men’s 500-yard freestyle (4:06.32). He owns three SEC records (two individual) and four Florida records. He’s part of the core, along with Tokyo double gold medalist Bobby Finke, that have made Gainesville the font of American men’s distance swimming’s resurgence, mainly under the tutelage of Anthony Nesty.
Kieran Smith is the latest in a long line of college athletes to sign apparel endorsement deals, including fellow Olympian Torri Huske and gold medalist Lydia Jacoby. Changing NCAA governance of athletes being able to profit on their name, image and likeness (NIL) means that Olympians like Smith no longer have to choose between cashing in on their swimming success and being able to compete at the NCAA level.
