Andrew Patrick “Drew” Kibler (born March 9, 2000) is a retired American competition swimmer specializing in freestyle events. He is a world record holder in the short course 4×200 meter freestyle relay and a former American record holder in the 4×200 yard freestyle relay. He won a gold medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay each at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships (long course) and the 2022 World Short Course Championships and placed fourth in the event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He is an Olympic silver medalist in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the 200 meter freestyle, he took fourth-place at both the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and the 2022 World Short Course Championships. He is also a three-time NCAA champion in the 4×200 yard freestyle relay, winning NCAA titles in the event in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Background Kibler was born with a hearing impairment, wears hearing aids outside the pool but not in the water, and works through difficulties hearing whistles signaling to competitors a race is about to start at swimming competitions.Woods, David (February 22, 2017). "Local swimming rivals: 'We're really good friends when we're dry'". IndyStar. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
Career 2016–2018 In August 2016, at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships for the year, Kibler won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, a silver medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, the bronze medal in the 200 meter freestyle, won the b-final of the 50 meter freestyle, placed second in the b-final of the 100 meter freestyle, and placed nineteenth in the 400 meter freestyle."2016 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Results". swmeets.com. August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2022.Woods, David (August 28, 2016). "3 Hoosier swimmers total 5 medals at Junior Pan Pacs". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
As part of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, held in Indianapolis in August, Kibler won a silver medal, swimming the anchor leg of the relay in the preliminaries in a time of 1:48.43.FINA (August 28, 2017). "6th FINA World Junior Championships 2017 Indianapolis (USA): Complete Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved September 19, 2021. He also initially won a gold medal as part of the 4×100 meter medley relay, swimming backstroke in the final, however the medal was later disqualified due to an anti-doping rule violation by one of his fellow relay teammates.Keith, Braden (June 7, 2018). "FINA Rules That 3 American Relays Must Be Disqualified from World Jrs". SwimSwam. Retrieved August 22, 2022. In his non-medaling events, he placed fourth in the 100 meter backstroke with a time of 54.97 seconds, fifteenth in the 100 meter butterfly with a 53.80, and helped achieve a fourth-place finish in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, splitting a 50.04 for the third leg of the relay in the final after swimming on the prelims relay as well.
The following year, at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, held in August in Suva, Fiji, he won the 200 meter freestyle with a Championships record time of 1:47.65 as well as winning gold medals in the 100 meter freestyle, 4×100 meter freestyle relay, 4×200 meter freestyle relay, and 4×100 meter medley relay, a silver medal in the 50 meter freestyle, and placing second in the b-final of the 100 meter butterfly."2018 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships - 08/23/2018 to 08/26/2018: Results". USA Swimming. August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
2019 2019 NCAA Championships At the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas in March, Kibler set new NCAA, American, and US Open records with relay teammates Austin Katz, Jeff Newkirk, and Townley Haas in the 4×200 yard freestyle relay in a time of 6:05.08, leading-off the relay on the first 200-yard stretch with a 1:32.06.Ross, Andy (March 27, 2019). "Texas Smashes NCAA, American Record in 800 Free Relay, Townley Haas Splits 1:29.66". Swimming World. Retrieved March 23, 2022. He also won the bronze medal in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:31.76, placed ninth in the 50 yard freestyle with a b-final-winning time of 19.15 seconds, and placed sixteenth overall in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 42.63 seconds in the b-final."2021-22 Men's Swimming and Diving Roster: Drew Kibler". Texas Longhorns. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
2019 Pan American Games
At the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Kibler won three medals.Woods, David (August 11, 2019). "Carmel swimmer Kibler, Purdue thrower Winger among Pan Am stars". IndyStar. Retrieved July 27, 2021. In the 4×100 meter freestyle relay on August 6, Kibler won the silver medal with his relay teammates Michael Chadwick, Grant House, and Nathan Adrian with a final time of 3:14.94.Diaz, Mauro (August 6, 2019). "U.S. women win Pan Am gold in 4x100 free relay". ESPN. Retrieved July 27, 2021."Results Book: Swimming - Lima 2019 Pan American Games". Panam Sports. August 10, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2021. On August 7, Kibler finished third in the final of the 200 meter freestyle with a time of 1:47.71 and won the bronze medal in the event.Covington, Taylor (August 7, 2019). "2019 Pan American Games: Fernando Scheffer, Breno Correia Bring Home a Pair of Medals for Brazil in Men's 200 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved July 27, 2021. Two days later on August 9, Kibler won his third medal, a second silver medal, in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay with relay teammates Grant House, Christopher Wieser, and Samuel Pomajevich who together swam a final relay time of 7:14.82.
2021 2021 NCAA Championships
At the 2021 NCAA Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, Kibler swam a 41.45 in the prelims heats of the 100 yard freestyle, advancing to the final ranking second.De George, Matthew (March 27, 2021). "2021 NCAA Men's Championships: Taking Top Seed in 100 Free, Ryan Hoffer in Position for Sprint Double". Swimming World. Retrieved March 24, 2022. In the final of the 100 yard freestyle, he tied for second-place.Woods, David (March 27, 2021). "Carmel's Drew Kibler leads Texas to NCAA swim title; IU, Purdue divers are champions". IndyStar. Retrieved March 24, 2022. Later in the same finals session, he anchored the 4×100 yard freestyle relay to a fourth-place finish in 2:48.28, splitting a 41.63.Hy-Tek (March 27, 2021). "2021 NCAA DI Men's Swimming & Diving". swimmeetresults.tech. Retrieved March 28, 2022. One day earlier, he placed second in the final of the 200 yard freestyle with a personal best time of 1:30.39, finishing less than three-tenths of a second behind first-place finisher Kieran Smith.Ross, Andy (March 26, 2021). "Kieran Smith Runs Down Kibler to Win First NCAA Title of Career in 200 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved March 24, 2022. The day before that, he achieved a fifth-place finish in the 500 yard freestyle. One day earlier, and the first day of competition, he helped win the 4×200 yard freestyle relay in 6:07.25, leading-off the relay with a 1:30.65 on the opening leg.Ortegon, Karl (March 24, 2021). "2021 NCAA Men's Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
2020 US Olympic Trials Kibler qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay by placing third in the 200 meter freestyle final with a time of 1:45.92 at the 2020 US Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.USA Swimming (June 15, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved June 16, 2021. In the prelims heats of the 100 meter freestyle, he swam a 48.72 to qualify for the semifinals ranking tenth.USA Swimming (June 16, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved March 24, 2022. For the semifinals, he swam a 49.02, placing 14th and not qualifying for the final.USA Swimming (June 16, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Freestyle Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved March 24, 2022. In his third event, the 100 meter butterfly, he placed 23rd in the prelims heats with a time of 53.10 seconds.USA Swimming (June 18, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved March 28, 2022. On the final day of competition, he decided not to swim the 50 meter freestyle.USA Swimming (June 19, 2021). "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 50m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
2020 Summer Olympics
In the prelims heats of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Kibler swam with relay teammates Patrick Callan, Blake Pieroni, and Andrew Seliskar to finish fifth overall and advance the relay to the final.Anderson, Jared (July 27, 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 27, 2021.Woods, David (July 27, 2021). "He helped USA swim to Olympics final. Now, Carmel's Drew Kibler waits on relay selection". IndyStar. Retrieved July 27, 2021. Following his performance in the prelims, he was selected to swim on the relay in the final along with Zach Apple, Kieran Smith, and Townley Haas, which made him the only relay member to swim in both the prelims and final of the event.Sutherland, James (July 27, 2021). "Relay Lineups: U.S. Opts For Kibler & Apple, No Dressel on Men's 4x200 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 27, 2021. In the final of the event, Kibler helped the relay finish fourth overall."IU graduates come up short in swimming events at Tokyo Olympics". WTHR. July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021. With his competition at the 2020 Olympic Games, he became the first Olympic swimmer representing the United States from Carmel, Indiana.
2022 Heading into championships season his senior year competing collegiately for the Texas Longhorns under Hall of Fame Coach Eddie Reese, Kibler won the 200 yard freestyle in a new pool record time of 1:32.74 at the Robson and Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium in a dual meet against Southern Methodist University.D'Addona, Dan (February 4, 2022). "Top-Ranked Texas Swimming Tops SMU, Led By Drew Kibler, Seven Pool Records". Swimming World. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
2022 Big 12 Championships