In a stunning turn of events on the road to the Paris Olympics, young swimmer Chris Guiliano has outshone the renowned Caeleb Dressel. His achievement has captured the hearts of the swimming community. “This is a dream come true, like being a little kid,” said Chris after his initial qualification to the Paris swim team on Monday. Though he was just a consolation prize winner at the NCAA during his time at Notre Dame, 15 months later Guiliano beat defending champion Caeleb Dressel as well as Jack Alexy, who finished in second and third places, respectively.

On Thursday, he secured his spot in a second event, with his parents, Joe and Cecilia Guiliano, cheering from the stands. Having nurtured his talent from a young age, his parents could not be happier as their son, the ACC’s Swimmer of the Year, reaches even greater heights.

Chris Guiliano’s parents sweet display of support after he makes the Olympic team 

In a recent tweet by Pat Forde, they shared a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Chris Guiliano’s parents. They captioned it, “The moment your kid wins an event at Olympic Trials: Joe and Cecelia Guiliano celebrating Chris’ victory in the 100 freestyle last night.” In the accompanying picture, Chris’ parents seemed overcome with emotion as they embraced sweetly in relief. In the 100m event, the Notre Dame swimmer recorded a score of 47.25s which made him the third-fastest swimmer in the event. 

He made his first Olympic team after placing second in the 20-meter freestyle event. Though he was not predicted to win because he was seeded 29th, he shocked everyone with his performance with a score of 1:45.38. He overcame his own personal best of 1:48.75 while doing it. Making him the 11th fastest swimmer of all-time. In the 100m, he finished with a time of 47.25s, beating Jack Alexy at 47.47s and Caeleb Dressel at 47.53s. 

Dressel still seemed determined that we could witness a world record. “I don’t think we should shy away from it. I think the world-record is 47.3 average, so we’ve got a shot at that,” he said, “Oh my gosh, top six were under 48. That’s pretty quick.” Guiliano’s victory came after a good collegiate season when he won the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events at the 2024 ACC championships. After Guilliano made the team, his parents’ joy sparked an outpouring of global fan support.

Fans go viral over emotional reaction to Chris Guiliano’s parents

Soon after the picture of his parents embracing in joy, with pure relief on their faces released, it earned praise from around the world. The adorable picture stole many hearts. One fan highlighted how athletes weren’t the only ones on their journey to the elite stage; rather, everyone in the family often played a role. It must be the highlight of Chris’ parents’ lives to finally see their son fulfill their dream. “Oh man. The best part of the Olympics are stories like these. I need to emotionally prepare myself for the parents on camera moments.”

Another fan empathetically highlighted the profound sacrifices parents make to nurture their kids’ dreams. Sports are often expensive to fund, and parents work doubly hard to make ends meet. They praised Joe and Cecilia, saying, “Probably put their house up for sale so their kid could chase him their dream.”

In a heartfelt message of pride and support, Rockne Athletics Fund extended their congratulations to their esteemed members, Joe and Cecelia. They expressed deep pride and joy in Chris’s accomplishments, stating, “Congratulations to Rockne members Joe and Cecelia! We are so proud of Chris!” The last fan expressed heartfelt appreciation for the adorable and heartwarming photos capturing Chris Guiliano’s parents in a moment of pure joy. It is such a sweet moment and fans are grateful to witness it. They remarked, “Look at how cute his parents are 🥹🥰”

It is without doubt that Chris Guiliano’s parents, Joe and Cecilia, made many sacrifices to support Chris’ dream. Now, as Chris Guiliano steps into the limelight, it’s his turn to repay their unwavering support and dedication by making them proud.