First Time Olympians Series

Welcome to our new profile series highlighting Ontario's first time Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers who will be in Paris this summer.

Okay, he peaked.

Tristan Jankovics did just that.

He had every right to glance up at the massive scoreboard at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) after he finished his 400-metres individual medley race at the Canadian Olympic Trials.

What he saw was enough for him to let loose in jubilation – which included fist pumps to his ecstatic parents and coach who watched him finish eight lengths of the pool in his trademark stunning performance.

As a youngster, learning to swim at the Wellington County Waves Swim Club, hours, and hours of dealing with challenges, working hard, and staying focussed on getting the job done, he did something he had never accomplished before.

Jankovics had made the cut that qualified him to compete for Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Finishing in a gold medal winning time of four minutes, 11.74 seconds, Jankovics shaved off a remarkable six seconds from his previous best time. It was a time for catching his breath, jubilation, and rejoicing.

“I looked up (at the scoreboard), absorbed what I had just done, looked at the ceiling and took a moment to celebrate in my own way,” he recalled. “Then, the fist pump or maybe there were a few. I thought, all the work that I had put it. Beyond being happy and excited, I was enjoying the craziest experience of my life.”

Finishing the second year of studies and on an athletic scholarship to Ohio State University in Columbus, Jankovics mentioned the word “surreal” several times in our conversation while reminiscing that golden moment in the life of the 20-year-old.

Jankovics has competed in dozens of meets, including finishing in the top eight at the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships, but nothing topped the finale in front of a rousing crowd.

As a former member of the Guelph Marlins Swim Club and having trained with the Ontario Swim Academy in Toronto, Jankovics is a name now being mentioned throughout his hometown of Guelph, current member of Royal City Aquatics. It certainly is being highlighted in the halls at his high school alma mater, Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute.

Check his list of accomplishments, which include qualifying for Canada at the Junior Pan Pacific championships in Hawaii in 2022, there were a variety of other competitions. Some well-known. Others not as noticeable, like the “No Pain No Gain” meet or the “TD Dash for Cash”. As a 10-year-old, he competed at something called the “Spring Skills and Thrills” invitational.

Back then, there may have been dreams of big-time events. Now, qualifying for the Olympics is a gold medal achievement.

“I’m still trying to convince myself that it has happened,” said Jankovic, whose parents came to Canada from Hungary. “This is big for me, but the tears of joy I saw from my parents will be something I will never forget. My parents put me in learn to swim classes and I had also liked soccer, but they were right – there was more potential in swimming for me.”

When Jankovics steps up to the pool deck, it’s not hard to miss the 6-foot-5 athlete.

Physically strong and dominant, his power strokes in the water are clearly noticeable. There is also an eagerness to excel. Time for rejoicing after making the Canadian contingent is over. Now, the focus is mentally, emotionally, and physically gearing up for the biggest thrill of his life. It’s one that will see him compete against the best on the planet.

“Making it to the biggest stage in sports speaks for itself – and against the best in the world,” he articulated while understanding the scope of the event. “This is surreal, crazy stuff. I’m going to the Olympics.”

Jankovics, who is studying electrical engineering at Ohio State, recalls watching the Olympics on television and mentioning to family and friends that, one day, he would like to be at that event.

Not sure of his role models, two names do stand out in a conversation with him – Andrew Ford and Evan van Moerkerke. Both trained, just like Jankovics, at the University of Guelph pool. Ford was at the Olympics in 2012 and van Moerkerke in 2016.

“Guelph is a small city, they made it (to the Olympics) and it had me thinking that maybe it was possible to do the same,” said Jankovics. “It hasn’t been easy, lots and lots of sacrifices and hard work.”

A competitive swimmer since the age of five. Jankovics qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials at age 15 in the 200-metres backstroke and 400-metres individual medley. But the COVID pandemic postponed the annual spectacle. While swimming was put on pause for many, Jankovics resorted to the dryland exercise of weight training and running.

Jankovics may have been pumped by the success of Ford, van Moerkere and others, but deep down he has memories that periodically come to life.

“I remember back in the sixth grade, there were people doubting me and my abilities,” he said. “It has stuck with me - and it feels good to prove people wrong. My goals have been achieved, but there’s still lots more to go for.”

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.