CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Blake Amlicke, a high schooler from Clarksville, will compete this weekend in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. If he makes the cut, Amlicke will be one of the youngest Olympic swimmers on the team.
Amlicke, a 17-year-old University of Virginia commit, is the No. 1-ranked swimmer for the Class of 2025 in the state of Tennessee, and he’s ranked 13th in the nation. He also holds the fastest 100-meter backstroke qualifying time for 18-and-under swimmers, with 54.84.
He’s been swimming since age 6, and he’s had the goal of making the Olympics since he was in elementary school. After watching his first Olympic trials on TV in 2012, he was hooked. “When I was 12, I broke a club swim team record that stood since 1970,” said Amlicke. “After I broke that record, it clicked in my mind that swimming was what I wanted to, and that I was pretty decent at it.”
Amlicke was a six-time All-American as a student at Pope John Paul High School in Nashville, as well as the national age group record holder.
His said parents, David and Michelle Amlicke, have played crucial roles in helping him along on his journey. “My dad actually was a competitive swimmer,” Amlicke said. “He swam at Williams College, and he’s been very helpful throughout my career. He gives me an outlet to talk about my swimming and swimming in general.”
Michelle Amlicke spoke of how proud she is of her son.
“Blake has now achieved that dream … one of many swimming goals,” she said. “His Christian faith, his teammates, his coaches, his work ethic and dedication, his perseverance and his absolute true love of swimming have contributed to his success in the pool and the young man that he has become.”
Amlicke will head to Indianapolis, where he will compete at Lucas Oil Stadium for the right to join the U.S. Olympic team. The trials will be broadcast Sunday at 10 a.m. on Peacock.
For Amlicke, the grind of early mornings, weights, practices and so much more has paid off, and his mindset for this weekend is to enjoy the moment, and see what happens.
“Going into it, I really just want to have fun,” he said. “I want to enjoy the stadium and the atmosphere, then swim as hard as I can. I know that I’ve put in the work to do everything I need to do.”
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