Dean Farris (born November 14, 1997) is an American former swimmer. From 2019 until 2024 he was the American record holder in the 200 yard freestyle. He won the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships titles in the 100 yard backstroke and 100 yard freestyle. At the 2019 World University Games he won two gold medals, one in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay and one in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay.
Early life and education Farris was born November 14, 1997, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia."Dean Farris - Bio". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. He attended The Paideia School for high school where he competed scholastically as part of the school swim team. For college, Farris attended Harvard University where he competed as part of the Harvard Crimson swim team.
Career 2015–2017 In January 2015, Farris was highlighted by SwimSwam as one of the "Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming" for achieving two times faster than national-level cut-off times, once each in the 200 yard backstroke and 200 yard individual medley.Lepesant, Anne (January 29, 2015). "AgonSwim Weekly Wonders Of Age Group Swimming". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. By mid-October of the same year, Farris had committed to competing collegiately for Harvard University as part of the Harvard Crimson.Lepesant, Anne (October 4, 2015). "Harvard Men Reel in Two Commits: Dean Farris and Raphael Marcoux". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. On February 24, 2017, Farris swam a 1:32.71 in the prelims heats of the 200 yard freestyle at the 2017 Ivy League Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, breaking the 37-year-old pool record set at Blodgett Pool on the Harvard University campus by Rowdy Gaines of Auburn University in 1980 with a time of 1:34.57.Lepesant, Anne (February 24, 2017). "Dean Farris Breaks Rowdy Gaines' 1980 Blodgett Pool Record, And More". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. In the final of the 200 yard freestyle later the same day, Farris lowered his own pool record by over one full second to a time of 1:31.56.Brandes, Chandler (February 24, 2017). "Dean Farris Posts 1:31.56 200 Free At Men's Ivy League Championships". Swimming World. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
2019 2019 NCAA Championships
At the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships in Austin, Texas, Farris led-off the 4×200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:29.15 for his 200 yards of freestyle and set new American and US Open records in the 200 yard freestyle, which broke the previous record of 1:29.50 set by Townley Haas in 2018.Sutherland, James (March 27, 2019). "Dean Farris Shatters American, NCAA Records In 200 Freestyle – 1:29.15". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021.Sagendorph, Kyle (March 28, 2019). "Two American Records Set in First Day of Men's NCAA Championships" . USA Swimming. Retrieved December 3, 2021. In the 100 yard backstroke, Farris won his first individual NCAA title with a time of 43.66 seconds, which made him the second American in history to swim the event in less than 44 seconds, only after the American record holder in the event, Ryan Murphy.Neidigh, Lauren (March 30, 2019). "Dean Farris Scares Murphy's Record To Win NCAA 100 Back Title As The Second Man Ever Under 44". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. Farris won his second NCAA title later in the Championships in the 100 yard freestyle, finishing first with a time of 40.80 seconds to out-touch second-place finisher Bowe Becker by three hundredths of a second and becoming the third-fastest performer in the event behind Caeleb Dressel of the Florida Gators and Vladimir Morozov of the USC Trojans.Ross, Andy (March 30, 2019). "Dean Farris Wins Second NCAA Title With 100 Free, Moves to Third All-Time". Swimming World. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
With his two NCAA title wins in individual events, Farris became the third swimmer from Harvard University to win two such titles in 54 years, an accomplishment that contributed to him earning the "Male Athlete of the Year" honor from The Harvard Crimson.Connaughton, William (May 30, 2019). "All-American: Dean Farris, Male Athlete of the Year". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved December 3, 2021. Following his success at the 2019 NCAA Championships, Farris decided to take a red-shirt year during the 2019–2020 collegiate season to prepare for the 2020 Summer Olympics, deciding to train in long course meters at the University of Texas with Eddie Reese during his time away.Carlson, Reid (May 17, 2019). "Exclusive: Dean Farris Talks Decision To Redshirt NCAA Season, Train At Texas". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. His red-shirt year coincided with the NCAA Division I Championships being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.De George, Matthew (March 12, 2020). "NCAA Cancels Winter Championships, Including Swimming And Diving". Swimming World. Retrieved April 2, 2023.Hart, Torrey (March 12, 2020). "NCAA Cancels Remaining Winter and Spring Champs; DII Swim & Dive Ends Midway". SwimSwam. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
2019 World University Games
At Piscina Felice Scandone on the first day of swimming competition at the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy in July, Farris won his first gold medal in the final of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, splitting a 47.48 for the second leg of the relay and helping his final relay teammates Zach Apple, Robert Howard, and Tate Jackson achieve the time of 3:11.03 to attain the gold medal.FISU (July 10, 2019). "Napoli 2019 30th Summer Universiade: Swimming Results Book". Microplus Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2021.Connolly, John (July 14, 2019). "Harvard's Dean Farris good as gold". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 3, 2021. In the prelims of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, Farris swam a 47.08 for the relay's second leg. Farris won his second gold medal of the World University Games in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, contributing a split of 1:48.73 for the lead-off leg in the final and helping to reach a total relay time of 7:09.77 with his final relay teammates Grant House, Trenton Julian, and Zach Apple."Farris Captures Another Gold as U.S. Wins 4x200 Free Relay at WUG". Harvard Crimson. July 10, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
2019 National Championships Less than one month later, Farris competed at the 2019 US National Championships in Stanford, California. In the 100 meter freestyle, Farris placed fourth with a personal best time of 48.07 seconds, which was less than two tenths of a second behind bronze medalist in the event Tate Jackson.USA Swimming (July 31, 2019). "2019 Phillips 66 National Championships: Men's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2021.Ehrmantraut, McKenna (July 31, 2019). "U.S. Nationals: Ryan Held Breaks Own U.S. Open and Meet Records in 100 Freestyle". Swimming World. Retrieved December 3, 2021. For the 200 meter freestyle, Farris won the bronze medal in a time of 1:46.45, finishing 0.2 second behind silver medalist Kieran Smith.USA Swimming (August 1, 2019). "2019 Phillips 66 National Championships: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2021. In the b-final of the 100 meter backstroke, Farris took first place in 53.93 seconds.USA Swimming (August 3, 2019). "2019 Phillips 66 National Championships: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2021. Concluding his competition at the year's National Championships, Farris placed sixth in the b-final of the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 22.57 seconds.USA Swimming (August 4, 2019). "2019 Phillips 66 National Championships: Men's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
2020 US Olympic Trials Leading up to the 2020 US Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, and held in June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Farris was highlighted by NBC Sports as a top US swimmer to watch at the last Pro Swim Series competition before the Olympic Trials.OlympicTalk (May 5, 2021). "Top U.S. Swimmers entered in last Pro Series meet before Olympic Trials". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 3, 2021. Come the US Olympic Trials, SwimSwam noted Farris and his perseverance in making it through to the semifinals of competition in the 100 meter freestyle.Gibbs, Robert (June 16, 2021). "2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Day 4: What Does It Take To Make It Back?". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. Farris did not make the 2020 US Olympic Team in any of his events, placing 13th in the 100 meter backstroke in the semifinals with a time of 54.17 seconds, 15th in the 100 meter freestyle semifinals at 49.15 seconds, 19th in the 100 meter butterfly with a personal best time of 52.95 seconds, and 30th in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 22.68 seconds."2020 Olympic Trials Wave II Results". USA Swimming. June 20, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
2021–2022 Collegiate season Returning to Harvard University for the 2021–2022 collegiate season, Farris won the 100 yard butterfly and placed second in the 50 yard freestyle in a double dual meet between his school, Dartmouth College, and Cornell University.Lepesant, Anne (November 13, 2021). "Harvard Men Open Ivy Season With Wins Over Cornell And Dartmouth". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 3, 2021. As part of a relay during practice leading up to championships season in the collegiate season, Farris swam 75 yards of freestyle with fins from a push-start in 28.7 seconds.Hodges, Coleman (January 4, 2022). "Dean Farris Pushes A 28.7 75 Free With Fins In Practice". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 4, 2022. In response to Farris's time, Brooks Curry of Louisiana State University swam a 75 yard freestyle sprint in fins, also from a push-start, in 28.6 seconds.Hodges, Coleman (January 4, 2022). "Brooks Curry Fires Back, Posts 28.6 75 Free With Fins". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 4, 2022. In mid-January, Farris won the 200 yard freestyle in 1:35.57 and the 100 yard freestyle with a 43.32 in a meet against Stanford University and the University of the Pacific.Pelshaw, Anya (January 15, 2022). "Freshman Help Lead Stanford To Victories Over Harvard And Pacific". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 15, 2022. Later the same month, in a dual meet against the University of Pennsylvania, Farris won the 100 yard backstroke in 46.71 and the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 43.95 seconds.Penland, Spencer (January 26, 2022). "Farris and Johnson Lead Harvard to 211-86 Victory Over Penn on Senior Day". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 26, 2022. In a meet against Princeton University and Yale University, Farris won the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 46.30 seconds and the 200 yard freestyle in 1:33.60.Rieder, David (January 30, 2022). "Dean Farris Wins Two Individual Events as Harvard Defeats Princeton and Yale; Raunak Khosla Picks Up Four Victories". Swimming World. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2022 Ivy League Championships