From Firestone high school to summer Olympics: 5 questions with Akron's Jonny Marshall
Akron native Jonny Marshall is staying busy with his studies and swimming as a sophomore at the University of Florida.
Marshall, a 2023 Firestone high school graduate, trained in and competed for Great Britain in the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. He posted the 16th best time in the 100-meter backstroke in a morning preliminary race on July 28 with a time of 53.93 seconds, and then had the 14th best time in the evening in a semifinal race with a time of 53.46 seconds.
Marshall, 20, is an American and British citizen. He is majoring in business at Florida and splits his time between Akron and Gainesville.
And, oh yeah, he is continuing to swim fast for the Gators, winning three races in record-setting fashion at the Southeastern Conference championship meet in February at the University of Georgia.
Swimming is in Marshall's pedigree, as as his parents, Steve and Louise, were successful swimmers at University of Cincinnati. Steve is American, grew up in Akron and is a Walsh Jesuit High School graduate. Louise grew up in England. Marshall's brother, George, is a sophomore swimmer at St. Vincent-St. Mary who earned All-Ohio honors at the Division II state meet last month.
Marshall recently answered five questions from the Akron Beacon Journal about his experiences at the Olympics and more.
What was it like to compete for Great Britain in the 2024 Summer Olympics in France?
"I don't think it was the competition that I was kind of fearing. I think it was kind of the moment that I was fearing. That gave me the most pre-race angst. Swimming is such a small sport. It is an Olympic sport, even in the years that it is not the Olympics. It is not really paid attention to except for once every four years. Kind of the same thing with gymnastics and track and field. Swimming, out of those three, there is no pro swim league."
"This is the biggest moment I feel like that you can come to in a swimming career, and I think I felt that pressure in the morning, but then I made it back to the finals as the 16th seed and I was just like, 'I've got nothing to lose now.' I was a lot more calm at night during the semifinal than I was during the prelim. There were all these people back in Akron that were getting up super early, and bless them, you know, getting up super early to watch, and I was like, 'Oh, I don't want to let them down.'"
What are your fondest memories of visiting France?
"I was able to stay with my girlfriend (Auburn swimmer Lawson Ficken) for an extra week after the competition was over. I stayed with her for four days and I stayed with the team for three days, and then we went to the Closing Ceremony. I would definitely say that the Closing Ceremony was pretty sweet.
"We rushed the stage of the performance on accident. They brought out all of the athletes around the track, and there was a stage in the middle, and they were like, 'Alright, you can go.' Everyone thought that meant you could get up on the stage, and we were literally on the stage. Me and Oli Morgan, the other guy who swam the backstroke (for Great Britain) were like 5 feet away from the French guys performing. It was pretty cool. They ushered us away, but there were like 50 people on the stage. We didn't get any trouble for it."
What are your favorite subjects and classes in school?
"At Firestone, I liked Theory of Knowledge, which was one of the IB (International Baccalaureate) classes. ... At Florida, I have taken some pretty cool AI introductory how-to courses, which are pretty nice. On the business end, I have liked econ so far."
Who are your favorite sports teams?
"I am all Cleveland all the way. The Browns, the Cavaliers and the Guardians. I like Arsenal (a professional football club in England), too."
What are your favorite foods and movies, and who are your favorite musical artists?
"I love pasta. I love Good Will Hunting. I like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. That's a good chick flick. Always gotta include one of those. I will go with the Kingsman as my third. That is a good action movie. ... I listen to a lot of stuff. Rap and older rock from the '70s. I love Led Zeppelin, Kid Cudi, Veze, Deftones and The Black Keys. I like the Kendrick Lamar stuff, too."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 5 questions with Akron native Jonny Marshall, an Olympic swimmer
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