The Shadow
BERLIN – Seven Virginia swimmers competed for Team USA at the 2025 FISU World University Games July 17-23 at the Schwimm-und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark (SSE) in Berlin, Germany.
The Cavaliers combined to win 22 medals, including 19 golds. The swimmers tallied 10 podium finishes in individual events while also helping the Americans dominate the relays at the Games.
Maxine Parker won six medals at the Games, including five golds. She closed out the meet by taking gold in the 50m Free on Wednesday, before anchoring the 4×100 Medley Relay in the final event. Parker also helped the US squad to record-setting times in the finals of both the mixed and the women’s 4×100 Free Relays earlier in the week. She also won an individual bronze in the 100m Freestyle.
Leah Hayes won five gold medals, including individual golds in both the 200m and 400m Individual Medleys. Hayes set the FISU record in the 200m IM in the semifinals on Monday (July 21) with a 2:10.01, only to top her own mark in the finals with a 2:09.48.
“Goodness gracious, this was a really big race for me,” Hayes said. “Having finally gone under 2:10 after so many years, I wouldn’t say it’s the reverse of heartbreaking, it’s more than heartwarming because I thought that 200m medley wasn’t my race anymore. No matter how many years of hard work and the hours I put in, I have just realized it was all mental. And I just needed to believe in myself. My coaches back home, they all just helped me do this time and believe in myself and have passion in this sport, so this isn’t just another race. This is a big moment for me and just knowing that it’s working and that I’m moving in the right direction (is huge for me).”
Hayes also helped the US to relay wins in the 4×100 Free, 4×100 Medley and 4×200 Free. The United States went undefeated in relays at the meet.
Tess Howley set a FISU record in the 200m Butterfly. Howley posted a 2:05.20 in the semifinals, the second-fastest in the world this year, the 15th-fastest time in history, and ranks as the third-fastest US performer in history. Howley won the gold in the event on Wednesday with a 2:05.69 in the finals.
Emma Weber won golds in two individual events: the 50m and 100m Breaststroke (30.61; 1:07.09). She also won a relay gold in the 4×100 Medley Relay.
Cavan Gormsen won two individual medals, gold in the 200m Free (1:57.21) and silver in the 400m Free (4:07.64). She also won a relay gold in the 4x200m Free Relay.
“This has been an amazing experience with Team USA,” Gormsen said. “It’s been one of the best weeks of my life. I’m really happy because I didn’t (break) the 1.58 barrier for three years, so I’m really pleased. This is such an incredibly talented field so I knew that we would all push each other the whole race. I love racing people. I’m a competitor, so any chance I get to race really fast girls is a great opportunity.”
David King closed out the meet with an individual silver in the 200m Backstroke (1:56.00) after winning three relay golds, including swimming with Parker in the Mixed 4×100 Free Relay final.
Katie Christopherson was the only Cavalier to compete and not medal, finishing fifth in her lone event, the 200m Breaststroke.
The FISU Summer World University Games are staged every two years in a different city. This celebration of international university sports and culture draws many thousands of student-athletes together to compete, making it among the world’s largest and most prestigious multi-sport events. The twelve-day FISU World University Games competition program includes fifteen sports.
This is the first time Virginia has had multiple swimmers qualify for the World University Games. UVA has had nine female swimmers compete at the championships, starting with gold medalist Ellen Feldmann in 1973. Female Virginia swimmers have won six golds and a silver in their previous appearances. King is the 21st male Cavalier to compete at the World University Games and the first since Yannick Kaeser (Switzerland) in Taipei in 2017. The Cavalier men had previously medaled 10 times, including four golds.
Virginia also has athletes competing in tennis and track and field events.
Cavalier Medal Tally – 2025 FISU World University Games
Gold (19)
50m Breast (Weber), 100 Breast (Weber), 200 IM (Hayes), 400IM (Hayes), 50 Free (Parker), 200 Free (Gormsen), 200 Butterfly (Howley), 4×100 Free Relay (Hayes, Parker, King), Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay (Parker, King), 4×200 Free Relay (Hayes, Gormsen), Mixed 4×100 Free Relay (King, Parker), 4×100 Medley Relay (Weber, Parker, Hayes)
Silver (2)
200 Back (King), 400 Free (Gormsen)
Bronze (1)
100 Free (Parker)
By Athlete
Maxine Parker (6): 5 Gold (50 Free, Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay, 4×100 Free Relay, Mixed 4×100 Free Relay, 4×100 Medley Relay); 1 Bronze (100 Free)
Leah Hayes (5): 5 Gold (400 IM, 200 IM, 4×100 Free Relay, 4×200 Free Relay, 4×100 Medley Relay)
David King (4): 3 Gold (Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay, 4×100 Free Relay, Mixed 4×100 Free Relay); 1 Silver (200 Back)
Cavan Gormsen (3): 2 Gold (200 Free, 4×200 Free Relay); 1 Silver (400 Free)
Emma Weber (3): 3 Gold (50 Breast, 100 Breast, 4×100 Medley Relay)
Tess Howley (1): 1 Gold (200 Fly)
