UPDATE: Wilson Finishes First in Heat in 100m Backstroke at Paris Games

Max Wilson finished first in his heat in the men’s 100m backstroke on Sunday at the Olympic Games in Paris with a time of 54.49.

While it wasn’t enough to advance to the semifinals, with Wilson ultimately ranking 27th out of a field of 46, the 20-year-old bested his qualifying time of 56.65 at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

A rising junior at Florida State University, this was Wilson’s first Olympic competition after he secured one of the territory’s two “universality places” in swimming — St. Croix’s Natalia Kuipers got the other — based on points earned at events sanctioned by World Aquatics.

Kuipers finished fourth in her heat and 20th overall at the women’s 400m freestyle swim at the 2024 Paris Games on Saturday with a time of 4:33.46. While she didn’t make it to the finals, Kuipers, 22, bested her time from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished in 4:39.42.