Lydia Jacoby turns pro, forgoing NCAA eligibility
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Alaska swimmer Lydia Jacoby is forgoing her NCAA eligibility to pursue professional swimming, she announced on social media Wednesday morning.
The Olympic gold medalist from Seward had two years of eligibility remaining after spending two successful seasons at the University of Texas.
“After careful consideration and with the support of my coaches and loved ones, I have decided to forgo my collegiate eligibility to pursue professional swimming,” Jacoby state on an Instagram post. “I committed to Texas long before my life was forever changed at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, and am glad I honored that commitment.”
Joining the program in the fall of 2022, Jacoby immediately began to stack up accolades that include an individual national championship in the 100-yard breaststroke, four Big 12 individual championships (100 breast 2023-24, 200 breast 2023-2024), and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while earning three All-American honors along the way.
All this, while deciding to sit out a semester of competition.
“I have absolutely loved my two seasons of swimming for the Longhorns and I’m eternally grateful for the coaching staff and my teammates at Texas,” Jacoby added.
Jacoby, 20, noted that she will continue to work on her degree in advertising at Texas.
Known as a swimming sensation in the state for some time, Jacoby reached international fame after her stunning gold medal performance in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 at 17 years old.
She went on to earn a silver medal at the same games in the 4x100 medley relay before she even graduated from Seward High School in spring 2022.
Jacoby missed the opportunity to defend her gold medal in the 100 breaststroke at the Paris Olympics after placing third at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
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