What do Michael Phelps and Nic Fink have in common? Both could call themselves Olympic medalists at 31. However, while Phelps returned in 2016 to add 6 medals taking his Olympic medal tally to 28, Fink has just won his first medal in Paris. At 31, Team USA’s late-bloomer has defied the odds. However, this only seems to be the beginning.

The Swimmer from Huston made history after sharing silver in the 100m breaststroke with Team GB star Adam Peaty. The monumental achievement made Fink the oldest first-time U.S. Olympic swimming medalist since 1904, and probably the first one to do so as a part-time athlete. However, winning a medal wasn’t a one-and-done thing for the two-time Olympian.

“I’m just at the point of my life where I threw the kitchen sink at swimming and saw what happened and was happy with it,” Nic Fink said during the post-event press meet. Despite the swimmer’s age and the fact that he is a full-time engineer, the Olympian is not about to slow down. “LA is only four years away and a home Olympics would be pretty cool,” Fink told reporters.

Fink is a full-time engineer who said having a job helped him “compartmentalize,” training and responsibilities. However, as the swimmer said, it wasn’t until the Paris Olympics cycle that he poured his heart and soul into training. In fact, Fink won all of his 13 world championship medals between 2022 and 2024.

Winning an Olympic medal is the greatest achievement for a swimmer at any age. However, sharing a silver medal with a 3x Olympic gold medalist made it all the more special for Nic Fink. In fact, the Team USA underdog gave the Paris Olympics 100m breaststroke gold medalist Nicolo Martinenghi a run for his money.

Nic Fink nearly got it done for Team USA

Paris 2024 turned out to be a crowning moment for Italian veteran swimmer Nicolo Martinenghi as well. It was a dream Martinenghi had nurtured since he was 8. However, beating Adam Peaty, who is one of his idols, made the moment even more special. Yet, during the race, Fick surprised the champion. “In the last 50 meters, the last 10 strokes, I saw Nic (Fink) next to me,” said the 24-year-old.

“We have to fight,” the 3x Olympic medalist said to himself. However, despite Nic Fink’s valiant effort, the swimmer fell just short of the Italian’s 59.03s finish. Fink and Peaty both touched the wall at 59.05s on the clock. From failing to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2012 and 2016 to nearly winning gold at 31, the former Georgia Bulldog has come a long way.

That said, the American will dedicate the next four years to training for LA2028. Nick Fink already has “three separate work sessions throughout a day,” on the days he trains twice. He may be willing to work even harder for the upcoming L.A. Olympics.