'So surreal': Quite a moment awaits Jonny Marshall, his family, friends at Paris Olympics

Akron native Jonny Marshall is in Paris, France on a business trip.

Yes, he plans to do some sightseeing, too, but that will come after he competes as a swimmer for Great Britain in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Marshall, a 2023 Firestone High School graduate, is entered in the 100-meter backstroke and could potentially swim on a relay.

"This is a special opportunity," Jonny Marshall said during a telephone interview on July 13. "I am very excited, very honored to be representing one of my home countries. I am very excited. I have been on the international stage before, but I think this is a bit bigger this time. This is the only attention swimming really gets every four years. I think this is a big opportunity for all swimmers participating."

Marshall is a dual-nationality citizen who is eligible to compete for Great Britain in the Olympics because his mother, Louise, is British. His father, Steve, is American. Louise and Steve met while swimming at the University of Cincinnati.

"I wanted to swim for Great Britain and continue my mother's legacy for swimming for Great Britain in the European stage," said Marshall, who completed his freshman season at the University of Florida as an All-American in March.

Marshall, 19, trained in England for about seven weeks and then arrived in Reims, France on July 17 to continue to train. He arrived in Paris on Tuesday, July 23 for additional training.

The men's 100 backstroke begins with heats on Sunday, July 28, which is Day 2 of the swim meet. The semifinals for the event are later that day and the final is on Monday, July 29.

"I am feeling good," Marshall said. "I have been training out in Loughborough with Adam Peaty, who is a two-time Olympic champion and world record holder, Anna Hopkin, who is also an Olympic gold medalist, and Luke Greenbank, who is a silver and bronze medalist under Mel Marshall [no relation], who will be my coach at the Olympics."

In April, Marshall became the fourth fastest British swimmer in the 100 backstroke, clocking 53.03 seconds at the British national championships in London to advance to the Olympic Games. He finished second in the 100 backstroke final in a time of 53.47 seconds on April 3 and also was third in the 200 backstroke in 1:58.93 on April 7.

Marshall, who is 6-foot-5 and 197 pounds, said the 400 medley relay is likely his top relay option if he is selected. That event has preliminary races on August 3 and the final on August 4.

"While the meet is going on, the No. 1 thing I am concerned about doing is competing and racing the best that I can," Jonny Marshall said. "I am there to be a competitor, and not a tourist. I am not really concerned with seeing The Louvre while I am there to swim the 100 backstroke, but I think after the meet is over I am excited to do all of the touristy things and have a steak frites along with escargot and what not."

Marshall said his parents will be in France for the Olympics along with his brother, George, and grandparents Beverly and Ian Gowens and Barb and Ed Marshall.

"To us, this is kind of unreal," Steve Marshall said Wednesday. "It is always a goal of every swimmer to make the Olympics. ... To see Jonny actually make the team and be there, it is still unreal to us. It will not set in until we are in the stands and he is on the pool deck Sunday morning in Paris that he really is an Olympian and he has made it. It has always been out there as a goal, but it was always everything else has to happen before this can happen.

"For us, 2028 [in Los Angeles] was kind of the real expectation. It was like 'Oh, yeah, Paris in 2024, it would be good to go to Trials and get some experience.' We didn't expect him to make it this young."

Others in Paris to cheer Marshall on are his girlfriend Lawson Ficken. She is among more than a dozen other family and friends making the trip, including Firestone swimming coach Cindy Dial and her husband, Steve.

"This is an amazing opportunity," Louise Marshall said Wednesday. "It is so surreal that he has even made the Olympics. To get to be a part of this is very exciting.

"... Jonny has continued to improve because he has great work ethic. He is a student of the sport and he is always looking to get better. Luckily, he has the physical height and strength on his side and he is still growing."

Jonny Marshall said his family and friends are encouraging him to "have fun and enjoy the moment."

Marshall's march to the Olympics started in Akron and included Division I state championship wins in the 100-yard backstroke in 2021 (47.41 seconds), 2022 (46.74) and 2023 (school-record 46.31) in Canton's C.T. Branin Natatorium. He also finished second three times in the Division I state meet in the 200 freestyle.

"This is a great opportunity," Cindy Dial said Wednesday. "It is an earned opportunity for him and for us to be able to celebrate this with him is phenomenal. It just gives me chills. This is a celebration of all of the hard work and dedication and effort that has been put in. This is his foot in the door. There is a lot more ahead for him and this is the first opportunity.

"... Jonny thrives on the pressure and the competition. It is something that I don't think you can ever teach somebody. It is that innate ability to want to get out there and be the best and be with the best."

Marshall won three SEC championships in February, winning the 100 backstroke (44.12), 200 backstroke (1:36.68) and 400 medley relay (3:00.49). He set Auburn pool records in each backstroke, and the 200 time is an SEC championship meet record. Additionally, he broke Ryan Lochte's Florida record in the 200 back and Adam Chaney's Florida record in the 100 back to help the Florida men's team win its 12th consecutive SEC championship.

Marshall finished his freshman season at Florida with two All-America performances in the NCAA national championship meet in March in Indianapolis, placing fourth in the 200-yard backstroke (1:37.04) and eighth in the 100 back (44.86).

"Some great advice from one of my coaches [Martyn Wilby] back in Florida has been, 'It is not always the best swimmer and the one who trains the hardest that wins. Sometimes it is just the guy that handles the environment the best,'" Jonny Marshall said "I try to keep that mantra at all of my bigger meets.

"... It has been an awesome summer. It has been really hard swimming at all of these meets. Florida is not for the fate of heart I don't think. It definitely has been a great opportunity. I am very proud that I am not only a Florida Gator and a GB Lion, but also a Firestone Falcon. All of the steps have led in the right direction. I am blessed to be here."

Dial is pumped to watch Marshall compete and also to see the Eiffel Tower.

"This is the dream come to realization," Dial said. "... The time is here. It is reality. This is great. I think this is going to be a great experience for Jonny."

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'So surreal': Quite a moment awaits Jonny Marshall, his family, friends at Paris Olympics