Olympic swimmer with Luzerne County ties wins bronze in Paris

Swimmer Emma Weyant, whose mother grew up in Plains Township, won a bronze medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Weyant, 22, who won a silver medal in Tokyo in 2021, closed fast to nip Great Britain’s Freya Constance Colbert for the bronze in 4:34.93.

Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh cruised to her second medal of these Games, winning the women’s 400-meter individual medley in 4:27.71, nearly six seconds head of Katie Grimes of the U.S., and Weyant.

Emma Weyant, of Sarasota, Fla., has Luzerne County connections. Her mom, Kristi Cardoni-Weyant, grew up on Main Street in Plains Township. Her great-grandfather was Herman Cardoni, who developed the Birchwood Hills development in Hilldale.

Cardoni-Weyant is in Paris with Emma and she was proud and happy for her daughter. Cardoni-Weyant could not attend the Tokyo games in 2021 due to COVID restrictions, but she hosted a watch party in Sarasota.

Emma Weyant used to love to go to Old Forge for pizza with her grandfather — Herman “Bucky” Cardoni, who died on July 24, 2015.

“Emma and my dad would go to Old Forge for pizza all the time,” Cardoni-Weyant said.

Emma has three sisters: Ava, Gracie and Harper.

Cardoni-Weyant said she has two brothers, Michael and Jeff Cardoni; and her aunt, Marcie Cardoni Petrocelli — “Bucky’s” sister — is from Plains Township.

Cardoni-Weyant said Emma trained a lot to get to Tokyo and Paris — practicing six days a week.

“She didn’t have a lot of free time,” her mom said. “It was basically eat, sleep and train.”

When Emma did have some free time, Cardoni-Weyant said she loved to head to the beach.

“Emma is very goal-oriented,” Cardoni-Weyant said. “She never ran from competition. She’s a pretty shy kid — the spotlight is not easy for her.”

Cardoni-Weyant grew up in Plains Township and attended Coughlin High School. She later graduated from Penn State University.

The family moved to Florida in 1994.