Jack Kelly

John "Jack" Gerard Kelly (born July 22, 2003) is an American born Irish professional swimmer specializing in the breaststroke. A former collegiate standout at Brown University (2021–2025), he currently trains under Bob Bowman at the University of Texas at Austin. Kelly represents the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) and is the 2025 U.S. Open champion in the 200m breaststroke.

Early life Kelly was born on July 22, 2003, in the Bronx, New York, to John and Clare Kelly. He was raised in Yonkers, New York, alongside his older brother James, twin sister Alanna, and younger sister Grace.

High school career Kelly attended Fordham Preparatory School, graduating in 2021. During his time at Fordham Prep, he was a two-time team MVP and earned All-American honors twice for his achievements in the 100-yard breaststroke. He competed for the Empire Swim Club prior to his collegiate career. In his senior year, Kelly qualified for and competed in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Collegiate career Kelly attended Brown University from 2021 to 2025, where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and swam under Head Coach Kevin Norman. During his time at Brown, Kelly was a three-time NCAA Division I qualifier in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke, and a three-time NCAA finalist.

He captured two Ivy League titles in the 100-yard breaststroke, and in 2025 set the Ivy League Record in the event with a time of 50.60. As team captain during his senior campaign, he led the Bears to a fourth-place finish at the Ivy League Championships. Kelly was honored with the Harold S. Ulen Career High Point Swimmer Award, recognizing his consistent excellence over four years of competition. He was Brown's first All-American swimmer since Carl Paulson in 1944, the first Brown swimmer to earn All-American honors in two events at the same NCAA championship, and the first Brown men's swimmer to earn Academic All-American honors. He was a recipient of the Joukowsky Scholar-Athlete Award, an honor given to Brown students who achieve success in both the classroom and athletic competition.

Professional career 2025 Kelly, representing the New York Athletic Club, launched his professional career in August 2025, moving to Austin, Texas, to swim under coach Bob Bowman. As part of the Longhorn pro group, Kelly trains alongside Olympians Léon Marchand, Shaine Casas, Luke Hobson, Carson Foster, Chris Guiliano, Hubert Kós, Regan Smith, Simone Manuel, and Summer McIntosh.

Kelly won the gold medal in the 200m breaststroke (2:09.90) at the 2025 Toyota U.S. Open. He also placed third in the 100m breaststroke (59.72) and fifth in the 50m breaststroke (27.47).

2026

Kelly competed at the Irish Championships, where he qualified for the Irish team for the 2026 European Aquatics Championships. Kelly won the 50m breaststroke (26.84), 100m breaststroke (59.90), and 200m breaststroke (2:12.55), setting Irish Open records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.

Citizenship Kelly is a dual Irish-American citizen whose family hails from Dunmanus, County Cork, Ireland. At the 2024 Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials in Dublin, Kelly won silver in the 100m breaststroke (1:00.95) and bronze in the 200m breaststroke (2:13.11), competing for the ESB Swimming Club under Coach Cynthia Hurley.

Awards and honors 2020, 2021 High School All-American 2024, 2025 First Team All-Ivy League 2024, 2025 First Team All-American 2025 Academic All-American 2025 Harold S. Ulen Career High Point Swimmer Award 2025 Joukowsky Scholar-Athlete Award

Personal bests

Short course (25 yd) Event Time Meet Location Date 100 yd Breaststroke 50.60 Ivy League Championships (M) Providence, RI, U.S. February 28, 2025 200 yd Breaststroke 1:49.80 Ivy League Championships (M) Providence, RI, U.S. March 1, 2025

Long course (50 m) Event Time Meet Location Date 50 m Breaststroke 26.84 NR Irish Championships Bangor, County Down, Ireland April 9, 2026 100 m Breaststroke 58.90 NR 2026 European Championships Paris, France August 10, 2026 200 m Breaststroke 2:09.90 Toyota U.S. Open Championships Austin, TX, U.S. December 6, 2025