Former University of Nevada, Las Vegas standout Panos Bolanos has secured a spot on Greece's Olympic Swimming Team for the 2024 Paris Games, announced by the Hellenic Olympic Committee on Thursday.
A native of Athens, Greece, Bolanos earned his place as part of the Greek men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, set to compete on the opening day of the Olympics scheduled for Saturday, July 27. This achievement marks a significant milestone, as he becomes the first former UNLV men's swimmer to represent an Olympic team in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay since Richard Hortness did so for Canada in 2012.
During his time at UNLV, Bolanos excelled as an athlete, earning All-American honours in the 200 backstrokes in 2020. He also clinched multiple individual titles at the WAC championships, including four in the 200 backstroke, two in the 100 backstroke, and one in the 200 IM (2022).
Additionally, he contributed to team victories in the 800 free relay (three titles) and the 400 free relay (one title), playing a key role in UNLV's three consecutive WAC Championships from 2021 to 2023. Bolanos holds both the conference and school records in the 200 backstroke (1:40.64), as well as the program record in the 100 backstroke (45.80).
