In the world of swimming, it’s a pretty tight family. Many swimmers from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s are still close friends. Now their children are in their teens or older. Maybe grandchildren.

For some parents, the swimming bug continues to follow their family around. And for a very select few, their children were performing on the world stage in Paris.

At the Olympic Games in Paris some parents are in the stands cheering themselves hoarse for their children! Their progeny are representing their respective counties at the Olympic Games , making them proud.

With the exceptionally high standard of the Olympics, these parents had children swimming in a final in Paris 2024:

Nick Shackell swam for Great Britain in Atlanta 1996 in the 100 free. He had two of his children compete in Paris for USA. With America considered the toughest country to qualify in, this is an epic feat. The brother and sister pair had an outstanding dual result with both earning a final. Nick’s daughter Alex placed 6th in 200fly. His son Aaron placed 8th in 400free.

Janelle Elford competed for Australia in 1988 in the 400 and 800 free. Her daughter Lani Pallister qualified to compete in Paris in the 800fr, 1500fr and 4×200 relay for Australia. Her performance was outstanding with a 6th place finish in the 800. Lani’s Mom cheered her onto an Olympic gold in the 4×200 free.

If you were racing in any of the IM races and you won gold then you had to have a parent (or parents) who was an Olympian.

A very select group, families of past Olympians truly excelled. Canadian Olympian Jill Horstead’s daughter, Summer McIntosh, became a household name around the world. Summer is an all round athlete and repeated the rare feat of Horstead’s Canadian teammate Alex Baumann of 1984 by winning both IM’s. Mom swam 200m butterfly in Los Angeles in 1984 and not to be outdone, Summer topped the podium in her mother’s favourite event too.

The most famous athlete of the Paris games is Leon Marchand. He won four individual events including both IM’s and impressively the 200m breast and fly on the same night. Leon’s mother and father both represented France at the Olympic Games. Leon’s mother is Celine Bonnet who swam in 1992 in backstroke and Leon’s father Xavier Marchand swam in 1996 and 2000 as an IM specialist.

The family dedication required to cultivate children and teenagers is mind boggling. It is true that you don’t know what you’re getting into before you start. But it seems past Olympians are not ones to shirk hard graft.

The myriad of minutiae involved with competing in swimming has to be learned. Maybe there is a belief inherent in knowing it is possible to become world class since Mom (or Dad) did it. We all know what teenagers think about parents but there has to be something passed on!

Right from a young age these toddlers would have been watching Mom and Dad swim, copying their ways. Technique is critical and watching these swimmers swim it is balletic and sublime. All four gold medals in IM went to children of Olympians.

The world of parenting is a minefield. Weaving your way with them through to adulthood (and beyond) takes courage and patience. Parenting a child to an Olympic place is incredible and rare.

Congratulations to these amazing parents for being shining examples to their children so that they too believed in an Olympic dream.

(It is quite likely there are more than the examples I have discovered, apologies to any I’ve missed. Please set me straight!)

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