Wilimovsky became the first male American swimmer to earn his ticket for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer.
He finished in fifth place in the 10-kilometer open water competition at the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea with a time of 1:48.01.0. The top 10 swimmers were able to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Wilimovsky shared that he is “super stoked” to make the Top 10 and to punch his ticket for Tokyo. He added that any time he gets to represent the United States is “super cool.” “I definitely wanted to be better than fifth but I have a year to work on that, so overall, I am happy,” he explained.
For Wilimovsky, going to Tokyo is “huge.” “It’s cool to make it a year out because now you know everything you’re doing is for Tokyo 2020,” he said.
He noted that he would also like to make it in the 1,500 meter and the 800 meter free in the U.S. Olympic Trials next summer. His strategy is to come back to swimming in August after taking a one week break, in an effort to officially start training for the Olympic Games.
At the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, Wilimovsky won gold medals in the men’s 10-kilometer open water, as well as the men’s 1,500 meter freestyle, and he also claimed the silver medal in the 800 meter freestyle right behind fellow American distance swimmer Zane Grothe.
Wilimovsky was nominated for “Male Athlete of the Year” at the 2018 Golden Goggle Awards, alongside Ryan Murphy and Chase Kalisz. This past November, he chatted with Digital Journal on the red carpet of the Golden Goggle Awards that took place at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City.