Brooks Vaughn Curry (born January 22, 2001) is an American competitive swimmer. He is an Olympian and a gold medalist in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics. At the 2022 NCAA Championships, he won the NCAA title in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, swimming the anchor leg of the relay in both the prelims and the final, a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter mixed freestyle relay, swimming in the final, and placed fifth in the 100-meter freestyle.
Background Curry currently attends and swims collegiately in NCAA competition for Louisiana State University. He started competing for the school's swim team, the LSU Tigers, in the fall of 2019.Penland, Spencer (February 11, 2019). "LSU Secures Verbal From Sprint Freestyler Brooks Curry". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
2021: Relay international debut Collegiate championships At the 2021 Southeastern Conference, SEC, Championships in Columbia, Missouri in February, Curry was one of three athletes to swim the 50-yard freestyle in less than 19 seconds in the prelims heats, finishing in a personal best time of 18.97 seconds.Ross, Andy (February 24, 2021). "2021 SEC Men's Swimming Championships Day Two Prelims Live: Florida Puts Five Up in 500 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved October 18, 2021. The following month, at the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, he placed seventh in the final of the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 41.99 seconds after swimming a personal best time of 41.77 seconds in the prelims heats.Ross, Andy (March 27, 2021). "Ryan Hoffer Uses Stellar Underwaters to Go Perfect 3-For-3 in Individual Events With 100 Free Victory". Swimming World. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
2020 US Olympic Trials Curry qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, placing fourth at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials with a time of 48.19 seconds."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. June 17, 2021. In addition to competing in the 100-meter freestyle at the year's Olympic Trials, he also competed in the 50-meter freestyle where he tied for ninth place overall with a personal best time of 22.08 seconds in the semifinals."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 50m Freestyle Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021. His time in the 100-meter freestyle was fast enough for him to make the 2021—2022 US National Team roster in the event.USA Swimming (September 10, 2021). "USA Swimming National Team Roster 2021-22". Swimming World. Retrieved October 24, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (September 10, 2021). "USA Swimming Names 114 Athletes To The 2021-22 National Team Roster". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
2020 Summer Olympics
At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Curry raced for the U.S. Olympic swim team in the preliminary heats of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay alongside Zach Apple, Bowe Becker, and Blake Pieroni."Brooks Curry first LSU Tiger to win Gold at Olympics in swimming". WDSU. July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021. In the final, Caeleb Dressel was substituted in his place and the relay won the gold medal.West, Glen (July 26, 2021). "LSU Swimmer Brooks Curry Helps Lead USA to Olympic Gold in 4x100 Relay". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 26, 2021. Curry was the first swimmer from the Louisiana State University athletics program, called the LSU Tigers, to win a gold medal at an Olympic Games in swimming.Chrisman, Spencer (July 26, 2021). "Brooks Curry is golden, becomes first Tiger to win gold in Tokyo". WAFB. Retrieved July 26, 2021. He was also the first swimmer from the program since the 2000 Summer Olympics to compete in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at an Olympic Games. After the medals were handed out at the medal ceremony, Dressel tossed his gold medal to Curry, who was watching from the stands, as a demonstration of his gratitude for Curry's contribution to the victory.Dicker, Ron (July 26, 2021). "Caeleb Dressel Tosses Gold Medal To U.S. Sub Brooks Curry After Olympic Relay Victory". HuffPost. Retrieved July 26, 2021. While Curry's performance on the prelims relay and involvement in the finals relay's medal ceremony hit a certain sentimental note with the American press, they did not warrant him being included in the relay's nomination from the USA Swimming Foundation for their 2021 Golden Goggle Award for "Relay Performance of the Year" as only the finals relay swimmers received that honor."Olympic Stars Headline USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards Nominees". USA Swimming. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
Collegiate season beginnings Once the collegiate season started up again following the 2020 Olympic Games, Curry swam a 19.51 in the 50-yard freestyle for his team, the LSU Tigers, in a dual meet against the Grand Canyon Antelopes on October 9, setting a new pool record for the LSU Natatorium and helping his team win the meet.Penland, Spencer (October 9, 2021). "Brooks Curry Breaks LSU Pool Record With 19.51 50 FR As Tigers Down GCU". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 9, 2021. His win contributed to the LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers winning a total of 23 swimming events in the dual meet."Tigers Win 27 Events; Curry Breaks Pool Record". LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers. 9 October 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021. A little under two weeks later on October 21, Curry swam an unofficial personal best time of approximately 18.65 seconds, plus or minus five hundredths of a second, during practice.Miller, Nicole (October 21, 2021). "Olympian Brooks Curry Of LSU Swims 18.7 50 Free (Best Time) In Practice". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 21, 2021. One day later, on October 22, Curry won the 50-yard freestyle for his school with a time of 19.59 seconds at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in which LSU competed against three other collegiate teams.Koch, Kirby (October 22, 2021). "Tigers Shine in Day 1 of the Rocky Mountain Invitational". LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers. Retrieved October 23, 2021."Rocky Mountain Invitational — 10/22/2021 to 10/23/2021: Results". Denver Pioneers. October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021. The next day of the invitational, Curry won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 43.91 seconds.Koch, Kirby (October 23, 2021). "Swimming and Diving Wins Three Dual Meets at Rocky Mountain Invitational". LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers. Retrieved October 24, 2021. In addition to his two individual events, Curry also swam on the first-place finishing 4×50-yard medley relay, splitting 19.16 for the freestyle leg, the second-place finishing 4×100-yard freestyle relay, splitting a 42.89 for the third leg of the rely, the first-place finishing 4×100-yard medley relay, swimming a 43.73 for the anchoring leg of the relay, and the second-place finishing 4×50-yard freestyle relay, splitting a 19.89 for the lead-off leg of the relay. His performances helped his school win each of the three dual meets taking place as part of the two-day Rocky Mountain Invitational where his team competed against the Denver Pioneers, Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls, and Air Force Falcons.
In a dual meet against the Alabama Crimson Tide in early November, Curry won all three of his individual events for LSU, swimming a 19.95 in the 50-yard freestyle, 43.98 in the 100-yard freestyle, and 1:34.27 in the 200-yard freestyle.Gibbs, Robert (November 5, 2021). "Alabama Sweeps LSU At Home, But Curry Nabs #2 200 Free Time This Season". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 5, 2021.Lohn, John (6 November 2021). "Brooks Curry Dials Up Trio Of Swift Times For LSU, Including 1:34.27 Mark in 200 Freestyle". Swimming World. Retrieved 6 November 2021. On November 17, the first day of the 2021 Art Adamson Invitational, Curry lowered his official personal best time for the season in the 50-yard freestyle in the prelims with a swim of 19.14 seconds.Sutherland, James (November 17, 2021). "Curry, Johansson Put Up NCAA-Leading Times To Open Art Adamson Invite". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 17, 2021. In the final later the same day, Curry cut 0.05 seconds off his time from the prelims to win the event in 19.09 seconds.D'Addona, Dan (November 17, 2021). "Art Adamson Invitational Day 1: Brooks Curry Goes 19.09; USC Women Dominate With Depth". Swimming World. Retrieved November 17, 2021.Hart, Torrey (November 17, 2021). "2021 Art Adamson Invite Day 1 Finals: Olympian Brooks Curry Pops 19.09 50 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 17, 2021. In the 100-yard backstroke on November 18, Curry dropped 1.62 seconds from his previous best time of 48.66 seconds by swimming a 47.04 in the prelims.Hart, Torrey (November 18, 2021). "Brooks Curry Fits 47-Flat 100 Back At Art Adamson Day 2 Prelims". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 18, 2021.Hy-Tek (November 18, 2021). "2021 Art Adamson Invitational: Men 100 Yard Backstroke Results". sidearmstats.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021. The third and final day of the Invitational, Curry swam a season best time of 42.86 seconds in the prelims of the 100-yard freestyle.Sutherland, James (November 19, 2021). "USC's Miljenic, Dillard Put Up #1 NCAA Times At Day 3 Art Adamson Prelims". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 19, 2021. In the final of the 100-yard freestyle in the evening, Curry won the event with a new season best time of 42.30 seconds.Hy-Tek (November 19, 2021). "2021 Art Adamson Invitational: Men 100 Yard Freestyle Final Results". sidearmstats.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.Lohn, John (November 19, 2021). "2021 Art Adamson Invitational: Brooks Curry Shows More Speed; USC Wraps Up Dominant Meet". Swimming World. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
2022: Individual international debut Starting off 2022 in advance of the collegiate championships season, Curry nudged out Dean Farris of Harvard University in a virtual duel of a 75-yard freestyle sprint with fins, swimming the distance in 28.6 seconds to Dean Farris's 28.7 seconds.Hodges, Coleman (January 4, 2022). "Brooks Curry Fires Back, Posts 28.6 75 Free With Fins". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 4, 2022. In a dual meet against Texas A&M University at the LSU Natatorium, Curry broke his own pool record in the 50-yard freestyle with a times of 19.42 seconds.De George, Matthew (January 22, 2022). "Brooks Curry Sets Pool Record, but Texas A&M's IM Strength Ekes Out Sweep". Swimming World. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
2022 Southeastern Conference Championships