BLACKSBURG — Youssef Ramadan and Antani Ivanov have both qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games, marking the first two current student-athletes at Virginia Tech to head to Tokyo.
Ramadan swam an Olympic standard A-Cut time on Sunday, qualifying him for competition in the 100 butterfly for Egypt. The Freshman is no stranger to the big stage in the 100 fly as he had his most notable performance of the season in the event.
At the 2021 ACC Championships, Ramadan had a record breaking time in the 100 butterfly at 44.32. This was the third fastest time ever in the NCAA, fastest time swam by a freshman in NCAA history and the No.1 time in the country at that point in the season. Ramadan's time also broke the ACC record, ACC meet record, school record and the Greensboro Aquatic Center record.
Antani Ivanov qualified in both the 100 and 200 butterfly earlier this month for Bulgaria. Although this is Ivanov's first Olympic appearance, he has competed on the Bulgarian Junior National and National Team for several years.
This past season, Ivanov made a name for himself on the national collegiate stage. The Junior earned a bronze medal in the 200 fly at the 2021 NCAA Championships back in March with a time of 1:39.26. Ivanov also took sixth in the 100 fly, earning his second individual All-American honor of the season. At the ACC Championships he placed second in the 200 fly and third in the 100 fly.
Ramadan and Ivanov will be joined in Tokyo by Hokie alum, Ian Ho. Ho will compete in the 50 freestyle sprint for Hong Kong.
The 2020 Olympic Games will begin July 23rd and conclude on August 8th in Tokyo, Japan. Swimming competition will run from July 24th through August 1st at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Koto City, Tokyo.