Jordan became the first man to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic team as the only American to place in the top 10 in the men’s 10-kilometer open water event at the FINA World Championships in Gwanju, South Korea on July 16. Needing only to finish among the top 10 at the World Championships in order to qualify for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, he placed fifth, only 5.1 seconds behind the winner. The 25-year-old from Sunset Mesa was a member of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim team in 2004, participated in the Jr. Lifeguard program at Will Rogers State Beach and graduated from Malibu High in 2012. He went on to major in political science at Northwestern University where he broke school records in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events and was a two-time All-American. The 2020 Games will mark Jordan’s second trip to the Olympics. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil he finished fourth in the 1500 meters and fifth in the 10k open water swim, missing a bronze medal by just 1.2 seconds. To nominate your favorite Palisadian for Athlete of the Week, email sports@palipost.com.
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