Two Montverde Academy swim team members, including recent graduate Emily Santos from the girls team and rising 12th-grader Jose Tati from the boys team, have qualified and will represent their native countries at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, late July and early August.
Both athletes earned spots on their respective nations’ teams by being the top swimmers for their countries per the World Aquatics criteria. Santos will swim in the 100 meter breaststroke and Tati in the 50 meter freestyle.
Santos, who will be attending college at Virginia Tech this fall, earned a spot on Team Panama by swimming the 100 meter breaststroke in 1:08.68. Her qualifying time is not only the fastest time in all of Panama in all age groups but is also number one in the United States among the 17 and 18 year olds, and an all-time record in Florida in that age group.
The 2024 MVA graduate dominated her entire senior year, winning at the 100 yard breaststroke in five races, including the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championship on November 4, 2023.
This will also mark the second time Santos will compete in the Olympics. She also represented Panama during the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021.
Tati earned a spot for Team Cabo Verde after blazing 50 meters in 26.82 at the African Championship last April.
The rising 12th-grader competed for the Eagles in 2023 and competed in the 50 yard freestyle at four different meets and swam a personal best time of 25.22 seconds at the FHSAA District Championship.
