Former University of Missouri swimmer Clement Secchi earned a bronze medal for France as part of the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay team Sunday at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Secchi swam the third leg of the relay in Saturday’s preliminary round, helping France finish with the best time in the first heat and best time overall at 3 minutes, 31.36 seconds. France, without Secchi in the lineup Sunday, earned the bronze, behind China (gold) and the United States (silver.)
Under Olympic rules, athletes who swim in only the preliminary heats are awarded a medal if their country medals in the final, allowing up to eight swimmers to win a medal for one relay team.
Competing in the 100-meter butterfly, Secchi, 24, a native of Aix-en-Provence, France, tied for 15th overall with a preliminary mark of 51.62 on Friday. The 2023 Mizzou graduate improved his time with a 51.58 in the first semifinal heat at Paris La Defense Arena. His 14th place finish represented the second-best by a male Mizzou swimmer in Olympic competition, trailing only Fabian Schwingenschloegl’s 10th-place effort in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympic Games three years ago.
A three-time honorable mention All-America honoree in his lone season as a Tiger (2022-23), Secchi ranks among the top five all-time at Mizzou in the 100m back, 100m fly, 200m fly and 200m back. A first-time Olympic qualifier, he captured the 200 fly (1:41.07) at the 2023 SEC Championships, before finishing 14th in the same event at the NCAA Championships.
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