Chris Guiliano’s parents beat Caeleb Dressel and compete in the Paris Olympics, touching the swimming community: ‘Stories like this’

In a surprising turn of events on the road to the Paris Olympics, young swimmer Chris Guiliano has outshone the famous Caeleb Dressel, and his performance has captured the hearts of the swimming community. “It’s a dream come true to be like a little kid,” said Chris after qualifying for the Paris swim team for the first time on Monday. Although he only won one consolation prize at the NCAA during his time at Notre Dame, 15 months later Guiliano beat defending champion Caeleb Dressel and Jack Alexy, who finished second and third, respectively.

On Thursday, he secured his spot in a second meet as his parents, Joe and Cecilia Guiliano, cheered him on from the stands. His parents, who nurtured his talent from a young age, couldn’t be happier as their son, the ACC Swimmer of the Year, reaches even greater heights.

Chris Guiliano’s parents show their support after he made the Olympic team

In a recent tweet by Pat Forde, they shared a once in a lifetime moment for Chris Guiliano’s parents. They captioned it, “The moment your child wins an event at the Olympic qualifiers: Joe and Cecelia Guiliano celebrate Chris’ victory in the 100-meter freestyle last night.” In the attached photo, Chris’ parents appear to be overcome with emotion as they hugged each other in relief. In the 100-meter dash, the Notre Dame swimmer clocked a time of 47.25 seconds, making him the third fastest swimmer in the event.

He made the Olympic team for the first time after finishing second in the 20m freestyle event. Although he was not expected to win as he was seeded 29th, he surprised everyone with his performance of 1:45.38, beating his personal best of 1:48.75, making him the 11th fastest swimmer of all time. In the 100m event, he clocked a time of 47.25 seconds, beating Jack Alexy’s 47.47 seconds and Caeleb Dressel’s 47.53 seconds.

Dressel still seemed determined to give us a world record. “I don’t think we should shy away from it. I think the world record is an average of 47.3, so we have a shot at it.” he said, “Oh my God, the top six were under 48. That’s pretty fast.” Guiliano’s victory came after a solid collegiate season in which he won the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events at the 2024 ACC Championships. After Guiliano was named to the team, his parents’ joy sparked an outpouring of support from fans around the world.

Emotional reaction of fans to Chris Guiliano’s parents goes viral

Shortly after the picture of his parents hugging each other in joy, with pure relief on their faces, was posted, it garnered praise from all over the world. The adorable picture captured many hearts. One fan emphasized that athletes are not the only ones who take the path to the elite; rather, every family member often plays a role. It must be the highlight of Chris’ parents’ lives to finally see their son fulfill their dream, “Oh man. The best thing about the Olympics is stories like this. I have to prepare myself emotionally for the moments when my parents are in front of the camera.”

Another fan empathized with the huge sacrifices parents make to support their children’s dreams. Sports are often expensive to fund and parents work twice as hard to make ends meet. They praised Joe and Cecilia, saying: “They probably put their house up for sale so their child could realize his dream.”

In a heartfelt message of pride and support, the Rockne Athletics Fund congratulated its valued members Joe and Cecelia. They expressed their deep pride and joy in Chris’ accomplishments, stating: “Congratulations to Rockne members Joe and Cecelia! We are so proud of Chris!” Last-Fan expressed their deep gratitude for the adorable and heartwarming photos that capture Chris Guiliano’s parents in a moment of pure joy. It’s such a sweet moment and fans are grateful to be able to witness it. They noted: “Look how cute his parents are 🥹🥰”

There is no doubt that Chris Guiliano’s parents Joe and Cecilia have made many sacrifices to support Chris’ dream. Now that Chris Guiliano is stepping into the spotlight, it is up to him to reciprocate their unwavering support and devotion by making them proud.