Nic Fink wins silver medal in a stunning tie with a swimming legend

Dallas’ Nic Fink’s silver in 100m breaststroke ‘icing on the cake’ of his late-blooming career

In an extraordinary turn of events, Morris County USA has emerged as a new beacon of Olympic excellence. Within a mere 24-hour span, Mendham’s Jack Alexy contributed to the United States triumph in the 400-meter freestyle relay, while Nic Fink clinched a silver medal in an electrifying 100-meter breaststroke final in Paris.

Fink’s performance saw him tie with two-time defending champion Adam Peaty of Great Britain, both clocking in at 59.05 seconds—just two hundredths of a second shy of gold medallist Nicolo Martinenghi from Italy. The silver medal presentation, conducted by Princess Anne of Great Britain, was a moment of shared pride as Fink and Peaty stood side by side on the podium, flanking Martinenghi.

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The Italian anthem concluded, and a symbolic moment ensued: Martinenghi invited Fink and Peaty to join him atop the podium’s highest step for a celebratory selfie—a gesture Fink eagerly displayed to the cameras.

At 31, Fink has become the oldest first-time Olympic medalist for USA Swimming since Edgar Adams secured silver in 1904. Reflecting on this milestone, Fink remarked in a press release, “While age is just a number, this achievement carries significant meaning. There were numerous junctures where I could have ended my career, but my passion for the sport kept me going. This success at this stage of my life is a delightful bonus—truly a joy.”

As the reigning world champion in the 100 breaststroke, Fink entered the final at Paris La Défense Arena as the fourth seed, with Peaty holding the top seed position.

Fink stands as a veteran figure among USA Swimming’s “Jersey Boys”—a distinguished group of American swimmers. This contingent has already secured two medals at the Summer Games, with Matt Fallon of Warren also competing in the breaststroke events in Paris.

An alumnus of The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, Fink boasts an illustrious career: a 19-time All-American and four-time Southeastern Conference 100 breaststroke champion during his tenure at the University of Georgia. He is a five-time world champion in the breaststroke and has been a stalwart of Team USA since 2013.

A long road from Pingry to Paris Olympics

Fink expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s an honor to contribute to Team USA’s medal tally. Having a supportive team here makes all the difference.”

Despite falling short of qualifying for the 2012 and 2016 Games, Fink placed fifth in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.

During his time at Pingry, Fink was twice named Swimmer of the Year and was honored as the Somerset County Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2011. He set a state high school record while winning the 100-yard breaststroke at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, and was a key member of the record-setting medley relay team, as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Fink has continued to excel academically, earning a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech after his Tokyo Olympics stint. He now works remotely as an assistant project manager for Quanta Utility Engineering Services, based in Atlanta. Balancing his career and athletic pursuits, Fink has been diligent in staying connected with his colleagues while training, even bringing his work laptop to training camp.

Fink and his wife, Melanie Margalis Fink—a 2016 Olympic gold medallist swimmer—reside in Dallas. They are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child, a boy, due in mid-September. Fink continues to train at Southern Methodist University, where Melanie serves as an assistant women’s coach.