June 7, 2012
ATLANTA – Rising sophomore Andrew Chetcuti set a pair of Maltese national swimming records last weekend, and the Yellow Jacket swimmer has earned the honor of representing his native country of Malta in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
In addition, Ryan Salmon (100 breast) and Nigel Plummer (50 free) have earned spots at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, bringing the total number of Tech swimmers to earn Trials cuts to a program-record 10.
Chetcuti will become the fourth Georgia Tech swimmer since 2004 to compete in the Olympic Games, joining two-time Turkish Olympian Onur Uras (2004 and 2008), Macendonian Vesna Stojanovska (2004) and Israeli Gal Nevo (2008).
At the Small States of Europe Swimming Championship this past weekend in Andorra, Chetcuti claimed the gold medal in the 50m free (23.60) and was the silver-medalist in the 100m free (51.85). His time in the 50m free set a personal best and established a new Maltese national record. Although he was edged by Iceland’s Orri Freyer Gudmundsson (51.57) for the gold in the 100m free, Chetcuti’s time was good for another personal best and another Maltese national record.
Chetcuti now owns seven Maltese national records: 50m free, 100m free, 200m free (1:38.83), 200m medley relay, 200m free relay, 400m free relay and 400m medley relay.
Currently in South Africa training for the Olympics, Chetcuti is one of just five athletes from the country of Malta to earn a 2012 Olympics spot – three Double Trap shooters and two swimmers.
Chetcuti is a biomedical engineering major who was born in Malta, a Southern European country that is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. His family moved to the United Arab Emirates in 1995.
