PANOS BOLANOS MAKES GREEK OLYMPIC TEAM FOR PARIS GAMES
The former Rebel standout earned his spot with Greece’s men’s 4×100-meter free relay squad
Former UNLV men’s swimming standout Panos Bolanos has been selected to the Greek Swimming Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Games, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced Thursday.
A native of Athens, Greece, Bolanos earned his spot as a member of the Greek men’s 4×100-meter free relay team which will compete on the opening day of Olympic competition scheduled for Saturday, July 27. This marks the first time a Rebel men’s squad swimmer makes an Olympic team in the 4×100-meter free relay event since two-time Olympian Richard Hortness did so for Canada in 2012.
During his Rebel career, Bolanos was named a 200 back All-American in 2020, while also winning four individual WAC titles in the 200 back, two WAC 100 back titles, one WAC 200 IM title (2022), three WAC titles with the 800 free relay squad and one with the 400 free relay team. He also helped lead the Scarlet & Gray to three consecutive WAC Championships as a team from 2021-23. Additionally, Bolanos holds the conference and school record in the 200 back (1:40.64), and the program record in the 100 back (45.80).
Bolanos’ Greek Team selection comes on the heels of a successful past week on the international stage for current and former UNLV swimmers. Former Rebels Richard Szilagyi and George Ratiu made up half of the Romanian men’s 400-meter free relay squad that finished fifth (3:14.02) at the European Championships. On the Rebel women’s team side, rising sophomore Fernanda Mendez Guerra represented her native country Mexico at the CCCAN Championships, placing second in the 200-meter free (2:05.10) and contributing to the Mexican women’s 800-meter free relay win (8:40.16) and 200-meter free relay silver-medal finish (1:38.81).