MARQUETTE, Mich. - Eight days ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on July 26, Northern Michigan Athletics continues to highlight the four Olympians with ties to Northern Michigan over four days. Up next is current swim & dive student-athlete, Leo Nolles.

From Maldonado, Uruguay, sophomore Nolles will represent his country and Northern Michigan in the 2024 Olympic Games. The swimming federation of Uruguay selects one male and one female participant with the highest world ranking based on time in events. Nolles was officially selected to represent the South American nation on June 22. He will compete in the 100-meter freestyle, with the preliminary round beginning on Tuesday, July 30 at 11 a.m. local time/5 a.m. EDT.

The first-time Olympian was battling back and forth with another Uruguayan male and was in the second slot just three days ahead of selection day. At the time, Nolles was in Spain ready to participate in the final qualification competition. On June 20, Leo swam a personal best of 50.41 100-meter freestyle, eclipsing the 50.47 mark needed to move up a ranking as well as shattering his personal best of 50.73 set in February at the World Championships in Doha.

After selection, Nolles remained in Germany for a couple of weeks to train before returning to Uruguay.

Swimming this past season for Northern Michigan, Nolles earned First-Team All-America honors in the 400 freestyle relay, and Second-Team All-America honors in the 800 freestyle relay, 50 freestyle, 200 medley relay, and 100 freestyle. He posted individual NCAA Qualifying times in both the 50 and 100 freestyle, broke school records on four separate occasions, and was crowned GLIAC Champion in the 50 freestyle.

Leo is the third NMU swimmer to qualify for the Olympics. Previously Arnoldo Herrera represented Costa Rica in 2021 and Xia Fujie represented China in 1988.