After shining at the 2020 Olympics and claiming the 2024 NCAA championship, 20-year-old Bella Sims made a surprising move in May 2025. She decided to leave the University of Florida after two seasons competing for the Gators. With two years of NCAA eligibility still left, fans were left wondering what prompted her to transfer to the University of Michigan. While her accomplishments in the pool were outstanding, Sims has recently opened up about the reasons behind her decision.

In a recent post on X, Sims explained the environment in Florida: “It didn’t really work out… It was just not what I wanted in an environment… When negativity surrounds you, you tend to be caught in that and I didn’t think that was the kind of environment I wanted to be in.”

Although she did not elaborate much, there were factors beyond the pool that likely prompted her transfer. Those struggles could trace back to the U.S. Olympic Trials 2024, where Sims competed in several events but ultimately failed to make the U.S. Olympic team. Later, Sims disclosed that she had problems with her stroke changes and elbow that were dismissed by her college coaches.

“Basically, like I think it’s when I do a distance I gotta get tired and my technique just like isn’t there, and then when I do a lot of it, it just gets repetitive… it’s almost like my muscle memory changes to whatever it is when I’m tired. Whenever I would work on it anytime else, it was like that’s what it was, and I kinda got used to that,” she said.

These technical issues, together with the choice of coaches, led to a feeling that her training was not well adjusted to her requirements. To make the matter worse, Sims also sustained a hip injury in mid 2024 that was initially diagnosed as just a contusion, but was eventually diagnosed with a torn labrum and a cartilage fissure.

“At the beginning of the year I got diagnosed with a torn labrum in my hip,” she said. “I kept on getting MRIs and X-rays, and everyone was like, You’re fine….I was like, there is something wrong with me like the pain I feel when I kick is not normal….”

For the Olympic silver medalist, these factors: a difficult environment, technical struggles in training, and an overlooked injury, all played a role in her decision to transfer. And now, she brings a wealth of talent to a Wolverines program ready for a star of her caliber.

Bella Sims brings star power to Michigan swimming

Bella Sims, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, is now a Michigan Wolverine. At just 20 years old, she already has an impressive list of achievements.

Sims has won multiple gold medals at the World Championships in the 4x200m freestyle relay (2022, 2023) and the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay (2023). It has been years since the state of Michigan had an NCAA champion swimming star like Maggie Mac, so the fact that Sims is coming to coach Matt Bowe was a big deal to the program.

Even in Florida, Olympic Medalist Sims dominated the 2024 NCAA Championships. She won the 200 free (1:40.90) and 500 free (4:32.47) and placed third in the 200 back (1:48.47). Last season, she focused more on backstroke, finishing second in the 100 back (49.12) and 200 back (1:47.11).

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She can be utilized in nearly any event by Michigan, yet backstroke will be the area where she will make the greatest impact.  With top Wolverine sprint backstroker Casey Chung graduating, Sims instantly becomes the leader of Michigan’s backstroke group.

By adding Olympic Medalist Sims to the team, the Wolverines have already obtained a swimmer who will be able to achieve results in the freestyle, backstroke, and IM events, a real star capable of making a huge impact on the board.